


Shelter From the Fire

by arjasmo



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Medical Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-06-24 12:36:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 76,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19723816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arjasmo/pseuds/arjasmo
Summary: The threats were real, people were dying. Young, vital artists were being killed. Out of desperation John Smith was called to guard a young rising star, Rose Tyler. All she had to do to live, according to him, was listen. But that is the last thing she wanted to do. It wasn't going well. But then a glimmer of something, then another. Rose started to see something in the mysterious man who was sworn to protect her. It’s not like he didn’t see it too. But keeping her alive was his job, and if she was killed, it may kill him too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm so glad to have you back. I wrote this one a while ago, months, but I got sucked into life. This fic started by happening upon "The Bodyguard" movie and my mind kind of took over there. Of course there was a lot of tweaking, and I basically took the concept and ran with it. It follows similar lines, but goes its own way too. I hope you like it. It's another long one, so strap yourself in. It is completed, so I won't leave you hanging.

John Smith’s feet pounded on the dirt trail that snaked along next to the beach. His usual brutal pace was slowed that day a bit due to a pair of recumbent bike riders that simply would not yield. But now he was travelling much faster, pushing, to see what he could do. Sweat soaked his vest top and he was thankful that his running shorts dried quickly. It was a warm day in LA, and very humid, especially before the sun completely broke through the morning haze. As usual, the trail was well populated, and it was only going to get worse as vacationers headed to the beach. He was approaching the pier now, deftly dodging a family as they blindly headed for the shore, inflatable rings and screaming kids in tow. 

His soundtrack of driving beats suddenly became interrupted by a ringing in his ears. His phone was ringing. He slowed to a jog and then a stop, breathing heavily, hand swiping at the phone attached to his upper arm, hoping the microphone in his headphones would pick up his voice. 

“Hello?”

“Hello John." 

He groaned, leaning towards a tree to stretch out his leg. “Sarah Jane, I’m retired.”

“As of when?”

“About ten seconds before you called. “

“I need you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do, it’s a special case. Please, one more time, for me?”

"Every time you have asked that, I’ve ended up with wither a nearly mortal injury or a strong desire to quit."

There was a long sigh on the other end. "I'm sorry. I know your last one was a shit show. But I need you. I need someone with your skill level. I'm out of options and you're my last resort."

“What’s happening?” He began stretching his other leg. 

“Recent artist deaths have been strung together. At first, they seemed random, an overdose, a fall, but now that Monk is dead, the cops in the different jurisdictions started putting 2 and 2 together and it adds up to a serial killer. People are panicking. I’m hearing from the management of more young stars, hip hop artists and rappers too.”

“No big loss in that lot.”

“John, I’m serious. This is a threat. It's widespread. I know you know about it, but it's getting bigger.”

“A serial killer?” He now leaned against the tree. “I mean I was aware of the threats against Monk, but I just thought it was a crazy fan. That he did this to himself. I didn’t realize other things were happening. So, others are being threatened too? How big is this?”

“It’s huge. Hundreds of threats have been sent out, to all kinds of artists like I said. All of them are young. I imagine now that the word is out, there are some copycats, but this has a lot of folks scared.”

“Can’t they track that stuff?”

“Yes, but they are having difficulty. They are coming in anonymously, through bogus accounts. A different one each time. The threats come in by Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even email. The threats don't seem to have a pattern of origin either. A few have been traced to libraries, some to computers left open various places. Whoever it is is pretty good, computer-wise. Some of the artists haven’t been aware of threats coming in. But they have been going back and scouring their social media and finding a surprising amount then. When things started to link together, it was found that there has been a threat, however buried or noticed, to go with each murder. I'm not sure if you'd heard that part. Then after each of the artists was murdered, the murderer would send intimate details. Now they are targeting more. That’s why I need you, I need the best.”

"How many have been killed? I didn't realize it was so big."

"No one realized it until recently. The first artist was a young comedian. No one knew. It just looked like an overdose. He was a known user, but his manager thought it was a bit off. He looked further into it and he found an email that was sent a week prior to his death. It threatened that he would ‘go to sleep forever’. Then he found another post, buried in comments on Instagram, about him dying with a needle in his arm hanging over a chair, with popcorn all over the floor. It was incredibly accurate. He went to the cops and had them revisit the case. Then I guess they looked into another one, then another. Slowly information was gathered that brought out an MO. It's all young stars, on their way up, but whoever it is is good at spreading the wealth and mechanism. In addition to Monk and the first guy, there was another one that drowned, and then one was poisoned, it’s happened all over California. It took a little bit for anyone to see a pattern. I can't believe you hadn't heard about any of it now that it's out. "

"After that little prick was killed, I stayed out of the news. And as you know, I have no use for social media. I just thought Monk was stupid. Then after he died, they made him out to be a hero, he was a punk with gang ties." John pushed off the tree and turned to look out into the ocean. Surfers inhabited the area closer to the pier and swimmers farther down the beach. He watched them without seeing them, not even enjoying the sea breeze that picked up as he stood still. 

"John, we just had another one."

"Who?"

"She was a YouTube Star, about to get her own variety show. She was a singer and a dancer."

"Shit. I get it, but you know I hate these people. Give me a boring dignitary any day, but these entitled little shits don't listen. It’s not guarding, it’s babysitting an ungrateful baby. I don't think I could guard another one." 

The line was quiet.

“We both know it wasn't your fault, John.”

"We'll agree to disagree on that. No matter how stupid he was, he was mine."

"Please. I need you. Her manager called me in a panic. Koshi’s already on board. You will have our full staff at your disposal. You are the lead on this, John. It’s your baby. But I need my best. “

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Rose Tyler. She’s actually British, like you. “

“Never heard of her.”

“She’s a hugely popular hip-hop star. She is incredibly talented and shot to the top within the past two years but has been popular longer. She's received four threats specifically aimed at her. Her manager is in a right tizzy. He needs her covered, right now. “

“Why was her manager in a panic? There are other security companies. “

Another pause.

“Because, she’s a bit of a… She’s not the easiest to corral. Her last security company kept losing her when she went out. She has a lot of friends and would disappear. Nothing ever happened, but the other company fired her, instead of the other way around. Too much liability.”

“What makes you think that I will do any different?”

“Because you are you. You know people and somehow get to them. And nothing gets by you. She won’t either. Monk sneaking out was on him. You weren't even in the country. Please John, I need your help. For me? “

John growled to himself as the two recumbent bikes he had to get around before rode past him on the trail. 

"Please, don't play on my sympathies. Fine, but I get my VIP fee, more if I have to live there. No discounts. "

"So more then, yes, you have to live on sight, but will have backup too. No discounts are needed. They are willing to pay anything you ask."

"Good, then 20% above my VIP fee. If I'm going to have to deal with a brat, they need to pay for it. " He rang off and turned back to the trail the way he came. 

OoOoOo

John dressed sharply in black slacks over sleek black boots that were surprisingly comfortable to walk or run in, but stylish enough to pull off with this suit. As per usual, he wore an athletic vest top, then slid on a ballistic vest over it. Then his crisp white shirt and tie. Over the shirt and vest he wore a shoulder holster for his 9 mil handgun. Finally, he added a suit jacket. On his left leg he wore a small side arm near his ankle. On his right he had an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) which was a bleeding control pack with a tourniquet, coagulation bandage, a chest seal, gauze for packing a wound and small trauma shears. He never left home without that kit. It was too important. Fortunately, he had only had to use it on himself. 

He got in his SUV, setting the navigation to the house, or rather estate, of one Rose Tyler. 

The drive took him the better part of half hour, but he still made it a few minutes early. He used that time to drive around the place, surveying. There was a high wall around it, with a few cameras in less than strategic spots. They looked old too, maybe not even in service. The trees overgrew the wall in a few places, that would have to be changed. Overall it was not bad though, like someone at some time had tried to make it secure. He finished is self-guided tour, taking mental notes about how to make it more secure. 

He drove to the gate and pressed the button on the speaker. The system looked new. "Hello? came a voice.

He looked up into a security camera mounted near the gate. "John Smith, I'm from Gallifrey security."

Without any further interaction, the gate swung open. John drove up the drive to the mansion. It was two story, of Spanish architecture. Trees dotted the lot, with some bushes up against the house itself. One tree grew next to the house, its branches touching the structure. John made a not that that tree would have to go. The place was nice though, not a fortress, and surprisingly not ostentatious. It was nice, but not like some of the mansions that he had been in. This one was not over the top. It was nice to see, of course he hadn't seen the inside yet. 

He put in his earphone for his radio, clipped the radio itself to his hip and checked in with dispatch before exiting the car. There was a massive front lawn, but he was able to drive right up to the front door. He parked, got out and rang the bell.

After a few moments, the door was pulled open by a tall, handsome man with bright blue eyes. "You must be John," he said, thrusting his hand out for a shake. 

John took his hand and gave it a firm shake with a nod. 

The man raised an eyebrow. "OK then. I'm Jack Harkness, I'm Rose's manager. I'm glad you're here. Sarah Jane says you're the best. " He motioned for him to follow inside. 

John didn't acknowledge the statement, rather followed Jack. 

"So, Rose and her dancers are in the studio. I'll take you there in a bit. I want to give you the lay of the land first. "

"OK, but can we talk about the nature of the threats?" 

Jack turned at the sound of John's voice, hearing it for the first time. "Sure, I have an intricate report to give you, but for now, basically she was threatened on Twitter by an anonymous account. Normally we take those with a grain of salt, but in the wake of the other deaths, we are taking it seriously. I heard that you worked with Monk before he died."

John winced internally, outwardly he didn't flinch. "Yes..."

"But you weren't there when he was killed. "

"No, I was out of the country."

"Good, Sarah Jane assured me it was not your error that led to his death."

"But none the less, if he had followed my orders he would have not been killed. "

Jack stopped, giving John a sardonic smile. "Yeah, that's why you're here. We may have an issue. Rose is a little hard to pin down. I love that kid with all my heart, but she's slippery. She's smart, brilliant actually and knows what she wants. It makes her hard to follow."

"It won't be a problem," John answered firmly. 

Jack didn't seem to have a retort but led them on. 

John took in the house. There was a massive kitchen that Jack assured was not used often. Rose had her meals delivered. But he could store all he wanted. He even would have a shelf specifically for him. His bedroom would be on the first floor, near the kitchen, hers on the second. His bedroom was modest but with an attached bathroom. He had a door that led out to the backyard and pool also. That would be good if he wanted a morning swim. 

After showing him the pool, Jack brought him back in to show him the workout room. It had everything he needed, including a treadmill, a bike and weights as well as various other machines, even a little place that looked like it could be used for several people to do yoga. "This is quite a setup," John remarked. 

"Oh yeah, Rose is very fit and likes to mix it up. Also, her friends come over to work out frequently. This house is a very busy one. There are people coming and going all the time. Many of her friends, especially the close ones like Shareen and Bonnie stay over frequently. But they won't bother you. Your door locks and the door to the pool is very sturdy. You won't hear much if there's a party. "

"If there's a party I'll be with her. If she's awake I'm awake. That's my job. If I want rest, I have to have someone relieve me. "

"Wow, well at least I know you're serious."

"Very," John confirmed.

Jack finished showing the main house to John, with John asking questions periodically about the security system. He found that there were too many unsecure doors, too many ways in and out that weren't monitored. That would have to change. He also met the house staff, one gardener and one housekeeper. There were actually a few housekeepers, but only one on per day. They would go home around ten, depending on what was happening. John got the names of everyone on the staff to run checks on them all. 

Lastly John was let upstairs to Rose's room. Jack walked in like it was nothing, and that made John uncomfortable. People seemed to do what they wanted around there, and it didn't sit well with him. Her room was pretty normal for a girl her age, he actually didn't know what that was, but it was decorated with a nauseating amount of pink, with a huge bed, also done in pink. He didn't know what he was expecting to be in there but was startled with how normal it looked. It had a large bay window that opened to the back of the house and the pool. It also had an enormous walk in closet that was attached to an incredible bathroom complete with a rainwater shower and a jetted tub. 

John looked at Jack. "First things first, I think we can make this into her safe room. We have schematics at Gallifrey for that."

"Like a panic room? I thought those had to be underground or something."

"No, it's not a panic room, but a secure room. She'll activate a button and it will lock down. She will be comfortable and safe from most threats. It's not 100%, but it will be good. It will make her feel safe too." 

"Whatever it takes, I need her safe."

"She will be."

Jack finally led John back to the first floor and down a hall. As they got closer to the door at the end, music got louder. It was a female voice both singing and rapping, and John wondered if it was Rose. It wasn't bad, just supremely not his style. 

Jack opened the door to the studio washing them both over with the driving beat. Though it sounded like a full concert was happening, he was surprised to find a handful of people inside, dressed in workout clothes, dancing to the music. The dance was intricate and well-choreographed. The dancers were a mix of girls and guys, all synchronized. In the center, facing away, was someone with blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. All the rest of the dancers focused their moves on her. She must be his charge, Rose. 

She looked to be in her early twenties, and though facing away, was looking into the mirrors that ran along the wall. She was red-faced, he guessed from dancing, and was mouthing along with the lyrics of the song. She was good looking, even without makeup and with her hair up. Even though he didn’t like what he was listening to, he could see why people like her. She was good, her dance moves were crisp, and she was beautiful, of course in the classical sense. Her voice wasn’t bad either. It didn’t seem to have a lot of extra electronics added in. He wondered what it sounded like if she was just to sing out. 

The music abruptly ended, and Rose immediately went over to the side of the floor where another young woman, about her age, was standing. "I like that last move," Rose said to her. But that little bit before it is hard to keep in time, we may need to tweak it a bit. " The woman agreed and handed Rose a towel. Now wiping her sweat from her face, she approached John and Jack. As she walked towards them, her eyes were only on John. As she got closer, a smirk graced her lips. 

"Rose, this is John Smith, your new bodyguard," Jack said." He's actually part of a team, but he will be the lead. He will spend the most time directly with you. "

"Miss Tyler," John said, extending his hand. 

"You're a Brit," she said, looking surprised. "From where?"

"London mostly, but I’ve been around, you?"

"Same. So, John then..." She was swinging her hips as she sidled up next to him. Then took his hand for a gentle shake. She held on a little too long and then slid her hand out of his slowly and dramatically. Then she frowned just a little when he didn't react, at all, just gave her the same noncommittal face. 

"So, you're the one that is gonna keep me safe?" she asked, smiling, nibbling on her thumb. 

"That is my job. If you do what I say, you'll be fine."

She frowned again. "Who have you worked for?"

"Several people of late, but mostly no one you'd know. But I did work for Monk."

She stepped back. "He died."

"He didn't follow my instructions," John countered gravely. 

Rose's mouth went agape, and she looked as though she was about to unload on him, even drawing a breath to do so, but Jack jumped in. 

"Uh, Rose, I need to show him the rest of the place. Then we can discuss plans for tonight. You'll need to clear any plans you have with him. Not for permission, but so he can be sure you have the right coverage. "

"Fine, whatever," she answered sharply. She turned back to John, then took a step closer so they were about an inch apart. He didn't back away. She looked back up at him, squinted then brought her hand up and knocked her knuckle on his ballistic vest. "Planning on getting shot, are we?"

He answered without hesitation. "I'm always planning on getting shot. That's what keeps me alive."

"Whatever, I need to get back to rehearsal."

John nodded, "Miss Tyler."

She turned back. "Don't call me that, it makes me feel like I'm back in school. Call me Rose." She quickly walked away, sashaying her hips the whole way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late post. This chapter is a monster and it took longer than usual to edit. I also fought with it a little. But it is a complete fic. 
> 
> In this one we see the reason Rose is hard to guard. Please don't kill me. You know that I am physically unable to have a sad ending, so hold on. I also use "Koshi" a little liberally in this fic. He is meant to be a bit of a cad, but has known John forever. So I guess he is built on what the Doctor wanted to have with him. Also, don't kill me there. 
> 
> I promise to make Rose more likable soon, but it's a matter of setting things up. We can't have them falling for each other right away, can we? Where's the fun in that?

Rose was well aware of the presence of Jack and the man who she assumed was the new bodyguard. They had walked into the back of the dance studio and she had seen them right away. She didn't miss much. She was expecting it really, as Jack had been so anal lately about her protection. And they had just lost Monk. But Rose also knew that Monk had a few things going on. Some things he didn't want others to know, especially bodyguards. But still it was sad he was gone. Shareen had done choreography for him too. In fact, she had been there along with a few others, just before he snuck out. It was a blow to all of them. 

But even as she worked through the dance moves, she could see him watching her. He was tall and quite good looking. He definitely had an air of confidence about him. He also had an air of authority to him, one that instantly started to grate on her. He didn’t even have to say a word, but he looked at her appraising her, and that was enough. 

She hated being watched, well more than that, she hated being judged. Some of her guards in the past had tried to be parents. She didn't need that. She was an adult, just barely so, but still. At least she wouldn't mind looking at him. That was a plus. Even if he was going to be an arsehole. The music ended and she went to go talk to Shareen, but also knew she needed to talk to the men waiting for her. They could wait another minute.  
OoOoO  
John nodded again to her back as she walked away after their introduction. Then he turned to Jack as the music started again. "Does she flirt with everyone?"

"Yes, I mean not always, but it is a weapon in her arsenal. I also wasn't kidding about her intelligence. She figures out what will best get her what she wants even if it takes her a few tries. She rarely doesn't get her way. But wow, did you shut her down. I'm sure I'll hear about it later. "

"That's fine with me. But she will find out very quickly that I'm hard to influence. She can try, but it won't work. I'm here to do a job, that's it. "

"Oh boy," Jack muttered, leading John out of the rehearsal gym. 

After Jack saw to it that John was settled, John told him about security measures that would need to go into place, and they set up a conference call with Sarah Jane to work out the specifics. They would need a contractor to take out trees, block off several doors among other things. Security scanners, most likely with key cards, would be given to those people who required them. They would also then be given out only to close friends. That was Jack’s requirement, but John wasn’t happy about it. 

No parties were to be held at the house unless the guests were vetted, and more security would be on hand depending on numbers, and those numbers would be limited. Sarah Jane would arrange for only vetted construction and technology contractors. Rose's room would be secured similar to a panic room, just on a lesser level. She would be able to electronically lower security shutters and lock her door from the inside. Her room door would be fortified too. It wouldn't be a total panic room, but if she went in, she would be safe. It would have a separate fire suppression system and ventilation too. All this, although extensive, would be rather easy to do with Gallifrey's contractors. 

He then met with the other security staff that would be on the perimeter as well as those that would work directly with Rose. 

The primary one to do that, other than him, was Koshi. John scowled as his old friend hopped out of his own SUV in front of the mansion. He had had Rose's music blaring on his stereo, abruptly turning it off as he shut the car down. 

"Hey there Doctor, how's it going?" he asked, adjusting his shoulder holster. John scowled at the use of his codename. The light-haired man, with slightly spikey hair and a manic grin got out of his car and shook John's hand. 

"You're late, Koshi."

"Sorry, I had some stuff to take care of. But I'm here! I downloaded her latest album so I could get a feel for it. It's great music. You should listen to it."

John crossed his arms, looking away. "Its's not music, it's just pans being dropped on a tile floor. It's terrible."

"I work with a nine-hundred-year-old cranky man," Koshi said. 

"Oi! Watch it, you’re my age. Also, if you think for a second you will make it with her, you are so wrong. She's an infant, flirts like a prostitute, then sulks when she doesn't get her way. Oh wait, that sounds like you. Perhaps you are made for each other. "

"She sounds divine, also you're one to talk about hooking up."

"Drop it, Koshi," John growled. He adjusted his earpiece, then spoke into the cuff of his jacket. "Radio check."

"Oh, I love having you in my head," Koshi countered, speaking into his own sleeve. 

John shook his head lightly, he knew Koshi was good, well OK, but he always questioned his intentions. Ignoring Koshi's goofy grin, he started again. "Rose and her friends, so four total, are planning on heading to a local club tonight to see a rap act. I guess this guy is all the rage." He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, we will be accompanying them in the limo."

"That sounds pretty sketchy. How are you allowing this? A club, really?"

"So far she's following the rules, she needs to tell us where she is going and let us plan for it. I conceded for this one because it's been planned for a while. They even cleared it through Sarah Jane. They also know that these incidences are going to be curtailed. But with her new album coming out soon she apparently needs to be 'visible'". He made air quotes. "But this is what we have to deal with, young star, she has to be out there, getting on twitter feeds, whatever the hell those are. So, you and I will be hitting all the hot spots. "

"I'm game," Koshi replied, "maybe you can get soda specials for seniors."

John looked him dead in the eye. "I could kill you and no one would ever know."

"But it would ruin our friendship,“ Koshi countered, slugging him in the arm. "Come on Doctor, show me around?"

"Yes, then I'll go scope out the club, the manager is opening it for me in an hour. He wasn't happy about it, but then again, he was happy to have Rose Tyler, so he let me come. "

"And when does all this start?"

"I guess the cool thing to do is get there at ten, sometimes later, I don't know. But the show is slated to start about ten."

"I'll buy the energy drinks," Koshi moaned. 

"Who's old now?" John laughed, leading Koshi inside. 

OoOoOo

Inside Rose's mansion, it was quiet. Before Koshi had gotten there, they were all eating in the living room. Now, when the two walked in, people were sprawled about on the couches, sleeping. Rose wasn't with them, but upon further inspection, her bedroom door was closed. John idly wondered if she had one of the guys that had been around earlier up there. But that was none of his business. 

He showed Koshi around, pointing out the changes that were being made, then took him outside to work on the outside plan. Koshi added a few things and they came up with a staffing plan. John was primary, he was to be working when she was awake. Koshi would be in the night rotation of guards, but also be there for major events. They would have other staff cover the perimeter and cover when necessary. Then John left to go survey the club and Koshi went back into the house. 

OoOooo

Hours later, John came back to loud music playing and various sounds of excitement. He had taken longer than he wanted. Mostly because the manager was late, and John had to be sure the venue had proper emergency exits and that his radio would not interfere with anything at the club. 

Now he opened the front door and was hit with a wall of sound. The music was coming from upstairs and the girls were shouting and whooping. A few of them were dancing on the landing and waved to him. He scowled and went to find Koshi. 

To his dismay, he found his partner upstairs, sitting on a love seat in Rose Tyler's room. He gave him a quizzical look. Koshi rose and motioned for him to follow. 

Downstairs, in John's room, the sound level was almost bearable. 

"What the hell, Koshi?" John asked. 

"I was just meeting our charges."

"Charge, we have one. All the others are just static. They’ll distract us, and clearly did. Our client is Rose Tyler. "

"I get it. But after a while they all woke up and I introduced myself. Then they were getting ready for tonight and invited me upstairs. I need to know my audience."

"Right. Whatever. But we need to talk about tonight, I have notes."

Koshi huffed and dropped onto John's bed. John let out a sigh and flipped open his notebook. 

OoOoOo

About nine thirty, all the girls were finally ready. There had been more food delivered and some of them ate, some of them didn't. There was enough for John and Koshi to eat and at the end the housekeeper came to clean up. John and Koshi went to help but were shooed away. Throughout it all, Rose never even acknowledged either of the men. Her friends did from time to time, but Rose acted like they weren't there. 

When the limo got there, they all started for the door. The numbers had dwindled to Rose and her three friends. Before they could get it open, John stopped them. "OK, can I please get introductions, so I can make sure I know who’s who?" he asked. 

Rose scoffed. "Omigod. Fine. I'm Rose." She smiled snottily at John. He was trying not to roll his eyes. She then pointed to a young lady next to her, dressed similarly in a mini skirt and top that left nothing to the imagination, as well as big, teased out hair. "I'm Shareen,” the girl, who he had seen Rose talk to in the gym said, ”I'm her choreographer. I actually work for a lot of people, but Rose is my bestie. We grew up together."

John swallowed, his patience wearing thin. He looked to the other girl, a short, dark haired girl with a bob haircut. "I'm Bonnie, I'm the hair and makeup expert." She gave John a sweet smile. John gave her a tight lipped smile back. Bonnie was cute and seemed nice. Perhaps a good influence? Everyone needed a voice of reason, and as she passed, John hoped it was her. 

Lastly there was a girl in a short leather jacket and over a loose shirt with leopard print leggings. "I'm Jessica. I'm one of her dancers and backup singers. She also carried a slim black briefcase. Though John wondered about its contents, he grappled with invasion of privacy on someone that had already been cleared by his company. But he could see her kind a mile away. She was the trouble bringer. He had been at this way too long not to see it. 

"Are we done with rollcall?" Rose asked with an exasperated sigh. 

"Yes, Miss Tyler, you may proceed." John opened the door with a flourish. She gave him an exaggerated yawn and walked out, her counterparts behind her. 

As he passed, Koshi stopped to talk quietly. "Dude, lighten up. Sarah Jane told me that all her friends have been thoroughly checked. Why did you do that?"

"It's just a reminder that we're there."

"Or you wanted to torture them so that they will fire you."

"Either of those would be fine," John answered, going out the door. 

OoOoOo

They all piled into the limo, but John held back. As Koshi climbed in, he looked up. "Not getting in Boss?"

John shook his head. "No, I'll ride with the driver. I need to talk to him about getting us out quickly if anything goes south, anyway."

"Suit yourself," Koshi said, shutting the door. 

John got into the passenger seat in the front. He left the privacy screen down and he could hear the party heating up in the back. He glanced to the back to see Koshi sitting next to Rose, bent towards her ear and talking to her. Typical. 

He turned his attention to the driver but the noise to in the back was too loud, and he had to close the privacy screen. As he did, he smirked and saluted Koshi who gave him a huge smile in return. 

In the back-passenger compartment, the music was thumping. Jessica brought the briefcase onto her lap. She was seated directly across from Koshi and Rose. Koshi eyed her cautiously. She just smiled widely at him and winked, then turned to the girls. She yelled over the music, "OK ladies, shall we have a little boost to the party?" She popped the locks on the case and opened it, revealing twelve brightly colored test tubes with stoppers in them. 

"Omigosh!" Rose exclaimed, scooting up in her seat. “Do you have any watermelon ones?"

“Just for you, m'lady," Jessica pulled a neon pink one out and handed it over. 

Rose popped off the top and shot it. She made a show of tossing her head back and swallowing. She then sat back up, squealing, "That tasted just like Jolly Ranchers!"

Everyone, except Koshi grabbed one or two from the case. Koshi watched them all take the shots. He sat quietly until Rose sat back and Koshi could feel her leaning towards his ear. He leaned in and Rose yelled over the music. "What's the deal with your partner? Does he have a massive stick up his butt or what?"

Koshi nodded, laughing. "Yes, it's colossal. But he's the best. He'll keep you safe."

Rose scoffed the leaned back to his ear. "Was he born without a sense of humor?"

Koshi laughed again. "He's actually quite funny, but you have him in work mode. You'll be lucky to see his funny side."

Rose shrugged. "I don't care anyway. " Then she sat back forward and started dancing in her seat. All the girls promptly joined in. 

OoOoo

As they approached the club, John gave instructions to the limo driver on where to park and how he would be contacted in the event he was needed. He had also arranged for him to have a walkie talkie that they tested just before they climbed all out. 

The driver pulled up right outside the front door to the club where the crowd had been separated from the curb by cones and ropes. While John got out of the front, the driver opened the door and Rose got out first, waving her hands in the air at the people waiting outside to a huge cheer. In each hand she held a vial of the bright liquid, one green and one blue. John met her as she stepped out and gave her a questioning look, but she ignored him, turning to blow kisses to the crowd. He leaned a little closer to her. "Did they know you were coming?" he asked.

She smirked. "Yes, I tweeted it earlier."

He shook his head lightly. "We need to talk about that."

"No, we don't", she retorted.

Soon Rose was surrounded by her friends and they started for the door. John stepped next to her and gently settled his hand on the small of her back as they approached the crowd. She swiftly twisted and slapped it away. "Oh no you don't. You're not my babysitter."

"I agree Miss Tyler, I don't care what you do, and I just need to keep others from killing you. That's my job. "

She stepped in front of him and turned to face him, wearing a defiant look. "Good then”, she said, simultaneously flipping the tops off both tubes and pouring them both into her mouth. She then tossed the empties at him, which he somehow caught, and then turned, looping her arms around those of Bonnie and Shareen and skipped into the club. 

John growled, stuffing the two tubes in his pocket. He shot Koshi a fierce look and entered after the girls. As the two men walked together, John grumbled, "This is going to suck." Before the pounding music overtook them. 

OoOoO

Once inside, John and Koshi separated, one on either side of the dance floor. There was a stage in front and tables and benches stretching along the walls surrounding the dance floor on three sides. There was a table reserved for the girls but they headed right in to dance. John and Koshi both slid earplugs into their ear that didn't hold the earpiece. At least they could talk with each other on a secure channel.

John heard a mic click. "You seem to have been hired by a fireball, Doctor."

He eyed Koshi across the room. "Yeah, we'll see if it lasts. I don't need another pain in my ass, I have you. "

"She asked if you were born without a sense of humor. I told her that you were a barrel of laughs. "

"Liar." 

"I told her she would have to get to know you."

"That'll never happen." 

John and Koshi watched the girls on the dance floor for a while, occasionally making an observation to each other. It was still hard to hear though. Rose danced with the friends and John and Koshi were ready to step in if anyone got too close. But her friends did an excellent job of insulating her.

Well, mostly. After a few songs, John noticed one guy in particular that seemed to be worming his way in. John radioed to Koshi that he was going in, intending on removing him. He started to wade through the crowd temporarily losing Rose. Dancers, mostly wearing only the must minimal of clothes allowed, and all sweaty, gyrated around him. His instinct was to just bulldoze his way through, letting people fall where they may, but he was new to Rose, and didn't want to cause a ruckus. Also, Koshi was there, so he merely divided the masses carefully, yet efficiently, only jostling a few. When he got her in sight again, he frowned. Rose was dancing VERY close to the guy in question. And then, after a quick glance to John, became locked in a very passionate kiss with him. 

John shook his head and waded back out of the crowd. He gave Koshi a withering look as he took up his post again. 

Shortly thereafter there was a break in the music and the girls left the dance floor for the table. The mystery man was trailing closely behind Rose. 

John met up with them quickly, trying to stop the guy from sitting at the table, mostly because he didn't know who he was and partially because upon closer inspection, he was a skinny kid, a “pretty boy” with a prepubescent mustache and a man-bun. But Rose held on tight to he who had thus been dubbed, "man-bun" and insisted that he join them. Rose ordered a round of drinks for the able and some sort of nachos, and John and Koshi took up posts near them. The other club-goers were mostly respectful, or either that or they got one look at Koshi and John and thought better of approaching. 

After the nachos were gone, Rose got up with Shareen. When she met eyes with him, Shareen mouthed, "She needs the loo."

John followed. He walked next to her and when she got to the door she put up a hand. "Can’t I even go to the loo?” she asked.

“Not without me knowing,” he countered. 

Rose rolled her eyes at him and went inside. 

After another 30 minutes or so back at the table, the rapper that they had come do see came on. If John had thought that Rose's music assaulted the ears, this was worse. The kid was about 19, wore baggy jeans (that he probably could have put another person in), a white vest top and what John thought may have been a golden carburetor around his neck. He may have been wrong, but it was big and gold and had lots of big gold things around it. On his head he had a flat billed hat on sideways. He was also covered in tattoos, which John found interesting given his young age. He had them all over his arms, down to the fingers, as well as several on his neck. The theme of them all was what John would consider general thuggery, with skulls, knives and such. Finally, he had a tattoo of a handgun on his right cheek. 

He heard Koshi laugh in his hear. "So that tattoo, is it intended to be badass, like he has a gun, or that is where you are supposed to shoot him?"

John snorted. "I think it's to show that he’s a badass, but it makes him look like a suburban kid that got a temporary tattoo in his cereal box."

They both eyed each other across the dance floor, smiling. 

After a brief introduction and a string of curse words that would have made a sailor blush, the set started. All of the girls and ‘man-bun’, were up and at the front immediately when he started his set. They moved to the music, Rose with her hands in the air. The rapper even came over and put a brief but passionate kiss on her. Everyone in the club screamed when he did. Shortly thereafter, ‘man-bun’ disappeared. 

John tried not to listen to the music, if you could call it that. But some things stuck out.

This kid was angry. His lyrics were talking about icing people, revenge, killing cops and all matter of alarming stuff. John shot Koshi a look after one particuarly brutal line about dead police and making boot tracks in their blood. Koshi had long since stopped smiling. 

"Homeboy is a little angry," Koshi said. "Maybe his exclusive preschool didn't offer the right favor of pudding."

"I'm not liking this," John said back. "The energy in the room is changing, can you feel it?" 

"Yeah, they're getting restless."

"Agreed. If we need to extract I'll lead, you follow. I'll text the driver real quick and have him on standby.”

John looked down at his phone to text. As he hit send, he heard Koshi. "Shit, Doctor. Look up."

John did, and instantly was on even higher alert. A mosh pit had formed. Boys and girls alike were throwing themselves around, some hitting the ground. Security from the venue started in, but a wall of partiers had formed, making it difficult to penetrate the boundary. In the middle of it was Rose. She was oblivious for a few moments, but someone knocked into her, almost making her fall. She said something and pushed him away then she made her way to the edge, only to be pushed back in by someone on the perimeter. 

John was almost through the crowd, Koshi at his heels. They made it to the edge of the mosh pit but couldn't get through. Well, that lasted for a second and a half. John reached out and grabbed the belt of the kid in front of him, dragging the boy to the side. He then grabbed the girl in front of him and moved her much the same. It was like he was opening a door. He stepped into the mosh pit, Koshi right behind him. Someone came very close to colliding with him but saw him and froze. In fact, the look of fury on John's face and the posture made them stop one at a time as he made his way to Rose, who was by the stage again. She was knocked into a few more times but shoved people off well. But her expression had changed. She was no longer having fun. But he could also tell that she wasn’t going to ask for help. She looked too determined for that. She kept turning back to the stage. 

Finally John made it to her and settled a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him as well as shook his hand off her and frowned. Her message was clear. She wasn't going. 

John nodded yes and reached out a hand to her. She slapped it away as she had before. Above him on the stage the rapper was yelling, and to his horror, John realized that the kid was pointing to him. "Look at this! The police have come to ruin the party! Well fuck them! We can do what we want! Fuck them all!”

The crowd surged again, pressing bodies into them as the volume of voices rose, and John faltered. Rose screamed as someone knocked her down. Fighting had started all aound them. People were hitting, body slamming and the like, fueled by alcohol, rage and the words being spewed at them from stage. He just egged them on, yelling slurs at John, at the establishment, and the kids on the floor ate it up. 

This was bad, the kind of bad where people die, and John knew it. Fighting was erupting all around him. People were being injured as the crowd turned more and more dangerous. He could hear people crying out as the words of the kid on the stage got louder. 

They were all in danger, but only one person mattered to John. In one swift movement, John reached down, scooped up Rose, flung her over his shoulder and turned. He was met with the angry faces of youth, but they caught sight of him and their expressions melted and they parted. Koshi was there a second later, making a path. Despite the words of the man/boy on stage, Koshi was able to break through the crows ahead of John. They moved swiftly as fighting spread. 

Finally as they broke free of the crowd, John felt pounding on his back. Rose was also kicking, but he held tight. It wasn’t until they made it off the dance floor that he heard her screaming. "LET ME DOWN!"

John didn't stop. He went off the dance floor, past the owner, and right out the door to the waiting limo. Koshi had broken off when they got free of the crowd and collected her friends. At the side of the limo, John let Rose down, just as her friends came out. 

Rose faced him. "YOU ARSE!" She beat on his chest. "I'm not a child and you aren't my mum. I was fine!" John was about to answer when the doors to the club slammed open and belched out club-goers. Some were holding themselves as if injured, some were carrying others, others cradling injuries or holding hands over bloody wounds. Then seconds later, multiple police cars pulled up. John stuffed them all into the limo before anything else could happen, but Rose still was able to give him the angriest look he had ever seen. 

He hopped into the front seat and they maneuvered out as fast as they could. 

Even with the privacy screen up, John could hear unhappy noises coming from the back. 

His mobile buzzed. It was from Koshi. "She's seething."

John typed back. "But is she still breathing?"

"Of course."

"Then I did my job."

When the limo arrived back at the house, the girls stormed out. Once inside, Rose announced that they would just have a party there, she would invite everyone on twitter to come over. John was about to say a resounding “No”, but Shareen got there first. "No, Honey, let’s just call a few friends and see who's around. Then we won't have strangers. You know that it's dangerous for you just to go out. Even without the threats. I mean, tonight could have been bad. You saw those people coming out injured. "

Rose pointed an accusatory finger at John. "But he didn't have to take me out like a baby!" 

John was formulating an answer but Shareen got there first. "Oh, come on now, your publicist will spin it like you hurt your foot. Then you'll go on Jimmy Fallon and laugh about it. You just say that you didn't mind getting a ride from your hot bodyguard. "

Rose frowned at John. "Whatever." 

John, who had been watching the exchange, turned and went into his bedroom, his anger barely veiled. He had saved her. She would have been crushed or killed. More than that, he was doing precisely what he was supposed to. He kept her safe. He’d be damned if he would bend to the will of a bratty kid like Rose. He was done. This wasn’t worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another monster of a chapter. I was going to break it up, but I hate to break once I get a momentum of story going. Today we see that John is a true hero, and Rose is still being a brat. Patience, my dears. It will resolve.

The party that night was a loud one. Shareen had been helpful in making sure that only the friends that had been on the background check list were invited. But that was still about twenty five people. The party boomed into the night/morning. John seated himself in the kitchen and periodically moved throughout the house. All night long he dodged angry stares from Rose, who clearly was not over being removed from the club. Occasionally he picked up on jeers she threw at him. But they faded as the night went on. 

Before guests arrived, he brought in backup to work the perimeter. He also opted to stay with the party until it wound down, calling in Koshi, who had left, to come in about eight am.

Finally at about three am, things broke up. John saw to it that either rides were ordered, on Rose's bill, or people were picked up. The rest stayed at various places in the house. His head hit the pillow at four AM. 

OoOoOo

At eight the next morning he called Sarah Jane. 

“Hello John,” she answered with a sigh indicating that she knew what he was about to say. 

"I quit, she's a brat."

"John, we need you."

"No, I cannot have a working relationship with a snotty kid with unfathomable fame. She hates me anyway. I want out. "

"There's been another threat."

"I don't care."

"C'mon John. It came in overnight. It said she would 'die in hell'. I don't know what he is getting at, if she'll die in fire or what else, but these non-specific specific threats are his style. And they come true. I need you on this Doctor, you're the best. You are the only one I trust to keep her alive. "

John blew out a long breath. She used his codename when she meant business. "She'll fire me then. I'm not willing to change. I'll bet I'll be in your office awaiting termination from this in twenty four hours time. "

"Be that as it may. Stick to her while you can. We can't force her hand but I also can't deny that you are her only hope. "

"How about if I kill her myself?"

"It voids your contract and you owe me money." Sarah rang off

John huffed out a laugh. If it weren't for Sarah, he wouldn't have a job. He was tough on his employers, but she was tougher. He couldn't say no to her. He never could. 

OoOoOo  
Koshi raised an eyebrow and put down his phone as John walked into the kitchen later that morning. John was fully dressed again, looking fully put together, with no indication that he had slept. The only difference was that he wore dress pants, the same boots and a different crisp white shirt. Normally he didn't wear his ballistic vest around the house, but with the new threat, he did. He poured himself some coffee. 

"Sleep well, Sleeping Beauty?" Koshi teased. 

"Four hours, I'm good," John retorted, "then I worked out, I ran the grounds. "I'm here now, you can go."

Koshi got up, yawned. "Good, because I only got six and I need a nap. There have been no stirrings yet from our charge. Some other people came wandering out a bit ago but they left. "

"Yeah I saw them. OK well it's Saturday, so I'll call you and let you know what is happening tonight. Hopefully they’ll stay in. But I doubt it. "

Koshi laughed and looked down at his phone. "Nice ass." He turned the screen to John. There it was, the headline he was dreading. "Rose Tyler's Buff Babysitter. How the hitmaker got put in timeout after a nasty temper tantrum." It was a picture taken from the mosh pit the last night. It was taken behind him and it showed her over his shoulder as he took her out. 

"Well I can see that they're nice and accurate."

"About the story?"

"No, that' I'm buff. It is a nice picture of my arse. But otherwise they didn't capture my good side." He smiled a saccharine smile at Koshi. 

"You don't have a good side."

OoOoOo

John walked around the house and made a few more notes on things he'd like changed as Rose and her friends slowly started to move around. Instead of open distain, Rose chose to act like he wasn't even there. 

Later her dancers arrived and they all went into the studio. John perched himself in a chair by the door and watched, trying to have a non-critical eye about the situation. 

It wasn't easy. But as time wore on, John started to appreciate the amount of work she put in. Shareen was there teaching them all moves and Rose was in the thick of it, adding things. She did most of the moves her dancers made, but was clearly singing too, or rapping, or whatever it was she did. She had to be working at least twice as hard as everyone else. He liked the work ethic. He just wished she was a better person. 

At least she worked hard. That had not been the case with Monk, the last charge. That kid was lazy but lucky. His uncle had had limited success in the music business but had contacts. He rarely was where he said he was going to be and was never on time. Then, after one of John's friend's had been injured in Afghanistan, John flew home to London, that's when it happened. The threat against him had said that he would be "run down". In fact he had been run over. He was hit crossing the street on the way into a club late at night. He had snuck out and had no security with him. The car had hit him at forty miles an hour. It then sped off. It was found a mile away. It had been stolen from a teenager just down the street. The cops processed the car but found nothing but finger prints from the owner and his friends, and the culprit wore a mask and couldn’t be identified on any security cameras. Monk laid dead in the gutter, he never made it to the hospital. 

John had felt responsible for that night, even though he was a world away. Koshi had been on that night, but Monk had slipped out during a party. No one saw him go. Koshi went to go find him, but he was dead before he did. 

That's why John hated guarding this type of person. Kids with too much money too soon were trouble. So few of them survived to become adults. And if they did, they were frequently addicted to various things and were relieved of their money quickly. It was sad really, mainly because they didn't get to grow up normally and healthy. He looked back out to Rose. She was just a kid, well not a kid exactly but young. Her actions the night before made her seem younger. But as he saw her work through things, he could see that she was professional. He could also see that if he were of similar age, she would be attractive, hot even. He shook it off. Not the time or the place. 

OoooOo

Later that afternoon, Jack, the manager, came back. He sidled up to John as he sat outside watching Rose and her friends by the pool. 

"Hey John, I wanted to talk about last night."

John eyed him, sliding off his sunglasses. "You want my version or hers?"

"Oh, I have hers, trust me. She wanted to fire you."

"I wanted to quit."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Well I'm glad that neither of you got your wish. Let me tell you a little about her. She's more talented than she lets on, but is used to getting what she wants. "

"I've already figured both of those things out. It still doesn't change that she is a massive brat. I had to get her out of there. It was past dangerous. Even without the threats against her, it was bad. I almost went down, and when she did, I made a move. I won't apologize for it and I won't. I agree that my methods may have not been the best for her image, but they were effective and she lived. That's all I'll say. If she wants me gone, I won’t let the door hit me in the arse. "

Jack chuckled. "No, I've calmed her. She sees the reasoning, but again it was the method she was opposed to. Maybe can you look at a little better execution in the future?"

John chewed his lip for a long while. "Fine, but if push comes to shove, my job is to keep her safe. I will not waver on that. "

"I understand. I think that’s reasonable. On another note, I’m going to find out what they want to do tonight so I can give you a heads up. She usually runs things past me. "

"Can't they just stay in?" John asked exasperatedly. 

"Oh John, you have forgotten how it is to be young and free haven't you?"

John grunted.   
OoOoOo  
Jack texted later with details on the club. Koshi was not with John at the house and agreed to go over and take a look. He reported back with a phone call. "The place is super old. I think it used to be some sort of manufacturing plant or something. It’s set up with a succession of rooms, all decorated with different themes. The owner is this old skeevy guy. He gave me the creeps. But he was there when I got there. It looks OK overall. A little cramped, but I checked the emergency exits. He says he posts security by each exit as well as has copious security throughout the venue. There was no specific VIP area due to how the club was set up, but a table and places to sit would be provided with extra security. 

'I'm not happy that anyone could come close. "

"I know, but it is what it is. I also checked the exit doors. They’re old, but lead to a little courtyard that takes you around to the front of the club. It should be fine. He also promised extra security for us because of her. He promised not to put anything on social media about her being there either."

"If you believe that I have a bridge in New York City to sell you."

"I know, but I think we can pull this off, you and I being the Dream Team and all."

"You are way too confident in your abilities," John growled. 

OoOoOo

After a day of rehearsals and a nap for the girls and a run (his second that day) for John around the grounds, it was time to go. Well, actually it was only Rose and Bonnie. Shareen had to work with another artist and Jessica had something, and were to meet them at the club. Rose had done her very best to ignore him all day, but that was fine with him. The less he had to talk the better. This job could not end fast enough. 

Once in the car, again John rode up front and Koshi in the back. The mood was festive again but there was also a lot of whispering. John had been there before. He knew that she would most likely try to duck out on him. He also gave explicit directions for the limo driver not to go anywhere without him or Koshi. As or dealing with a possibly elusive Rose, he had just simply decided to not let her leave his side. 

When the limo pulled up to where the club was supposed to be, John looked around confused. There were people outside but not the usual signs of a club like neon lights. This club was nothing on the outside. It just looked like an old building, like it was. The only thing that set it apart was a small metal sign that had flames, well gas, piped in that showed through cutouts of the metal. It read, "The Hot Spot."

The crowd outside again made a huge noise when they arrived. The driver opened the back door and John. After surveying people, shot a look at Rose. She smirked. "I know what you're asking, it wasn't me this time." She stuck out her tongue at him and danced into the club, only stopping to hug Shareen and Jessica as they met her at the door. 

Just inside they were met by a portly man wearing possibly the gaudiest silk shirt John had ever seen. It was open at the top with at least four gold chains around his neck up against his black chest hair. 

John heard a cough in his earpiece. Koshi's voice came through. "Is this a club or a 70's porno movie?" he asked, laughing.

John glared at him and Koshi schooled his features. 

The man, who identified himself as "Big Joe" didn't offer a handshake, but tried to hug Rose as a hello. In a flash, John stepped in, putting out an arm. It was instinct. John hadn't even said a word, and Big Joe put up his hands, looking at Rose. "You have good security," he said, and John could tell his pride was wounded a little. Rose just nodded as Joe turned to lead them in. She took a step and looked up to John, the first meaningful eye contact she had made since the last night. He wasn't sure if it was a thank you or not. 

The moment over, Rose looped arms with Shareen and Bonnie and took off after Joe. 

Joe wound through several rooms, making his way back. They followed, John and Koshi very close to the girls, John's hand hovering just inches from her at all times. The rooms were bizarre in nature, one full of mirrors and one looked to have a huge light display that only started as they were walking out of it. 

John kept his eyes on constant rotation, looking around then back to Rose. Her interaction with him minutes before had been weird, but he also wondered if it was the equivalent of a kid cleaning her room to make her father happy before she snuck out of the window. 

They were led to an area about halfway to the back by John’s calculations. It had tables and wait staff, off to the side and out of the general traffic. There were curtains up too, so the tables were not in full view. There was another door at the back of the room that indicated that there were more rooms further back. This room was the equivalent of two of the other rooms. It was already very busy with people, but admittedly less than what was in the rest of the club. In the curtained off area for them, there was a couch and a table for Rose and friends. Once the girls sat, the bartender made his way over and introduced himself. He also produced a tray of colorful, flaming shots that they happily accepted. 

John surveyed the room quickly. He could see the emergency doors that Koshi had indicated, but couldn't see them entirely, as they were partially obscured by people. He did notice that there was no security posted by the door. 

He came up to Joe, bending to his ear and yelling over the pounding music. "Hey, you said you would have security by each door. "

Joe nodded. "I will, but I have a huge turnout tonight. Let things get settled. "

John reluctantly agreed, but was ready to pull the plug the very second things got weird. 

He took up his place right next to the table while the girls greeted people and had drinks. The music was impossibly loud and It was even hard to hear Koshi. After another round of shots, the girls got up to dance. The area was not crowded with furniture and it had a little dancing area by the bar. It didn’t seem to be the main dance floor, but was probably 10x10 and full of people. The girls waded in and promptly were sucked into the mix.

Shortly thereafter, the room became packed. So much for a pseudo VIP area. John struggled to keep an eye on Rose. He looked over to Koshi, who was struggling too, mostly because is height made it difficult to see over the crowd. Koshi sent John a withering look, and when John looked back to Rose, she was gone. All the girls were. 

"Shit!" he yelled, unable to even hear his own voice. He motioned to Koshi, indicating that he couldn't see the girls. Koshi raised his hands, he hadn't seen them either. 

John started though the crowd. If possible, this was even harder than the night before because of the density of the bodies. He motioned for Koshi to stay put and then pointed to himself and the door to the next room. Koshi nodded. 

John pushed his way into the next room, this one a little less loud, but the one that had an aggressive light display. He scanned the crowd, nothing.

Then he saw flash of blonde, going out the door to the next room. John was on it like lightening. This room was the mirror room he had walked through before, but now it had the annoying addition of millions of bubbles as well as a whole lot of people. He batted the bubbles away in annoyance, trying to keep them out of his eyes. He didn't see the girls immediately and figured they had progressed to another room. Overall this was not a bad thing. They were going in the direction of the front door. If they got close enough, John would repeat his movement from the previous night. He would be fired for sure, but having an escaping, poor tempered brat in this charge was proving to be more trouble than it was worth it. Did she not care for her own safety? Anyone here could try to hurt her. There were threats! But here she was ducking away from him. He got to the door of the mirror room, ready to get into the next when he, on a whim, turned back to see where he had been. That's when he saw the back side of Rose Tyler, going back into the light room. They had doubled back on him. 

John pushed his way back, this time he thoroughly checking the light room to be sure they weren't in there. Each of the rooms only had two doors, one towards the front and one towards the back. Once that room was cleared, he re-entered the first room they had been settled in. They weren't there. He looked around and again saw Rose's retreating form in the next room, closer to the back. He motioned to Koshi to follow. 

Two rooms farther back he found her. It was in the farthest room back on the club. It had a bar that ran the length of the back wall. The wall mounted speakers were right by his head when he stopped to try to locate Rose. He saw her at last and pointed her out to Koshi. The girls had made it to the bar and were doing another round of shots. John motioned for Koshi to follow him. Beyond the fact that she had tried to dog him, the club was packed, so packed that it was quickly becoming dangerous. It was body to body everywhere they went. And, contrary to the assurances of Big Joe, there was no increased security. In fact, he hadn't seen any security at all in the last hour. 

No, it was time to go. Fuck it if she was mad. But she had done it to herself. If he hadn't had to follow her, he might not have seen just how packed the club was. At least not for a little while longer. But now he was acutely aware.

He made it to Rose at the bar. 

"Miss Tyler, we need to leave!" he yelled into her ear above the music. Luckily the speakers were across the room and there was some reprieve. 

"NO!" she yelled back. 

"It's growing more dangerous in here! We need to leave. There's too many people. Please don't make me remove you. "

Rose fixed him with a death glare. "I hate this and I HATE YOU!" she bellowed.

John maintained a neutral expression as the music dipped for a few seconds. "The feeling is mutual, Miss Tyler, but I have to do my job, at least until you fire me."

Rose opened her mouth to ostensibly fire him on the spot, but was interrupted by a loud crackle then "BOOM!" Everyone whipped around to see one of the wall mounted speakers had exploded, with fire racing up the wall. 

Screams were as loud as the music as everyone started to crush to the door. Koshi was at his side in an instant. "The doors are chained! There are no emergency exits!”

Mercifully the music abruptly ended, leaving only panicked screams. John grabbed Rose around the middle and dragged her to the nearest exit door, or what should have been one. It indeed had a thick chain holding the push bars from being depressed. But there going any other direction. 

"I thought you said we would have emergency doors!" he yelled at Koshi, but looking around for options. 

"I did! Koshi yelled back. 

John spotted a fire extinguisher on the side of the room. He could get to it by skirting the edges. There was no way they were going to get out the single door leading out of the room. Some people were braving it, but it was next to the fire and there was no way all those people could safely get out. The room was the last room in the building. There wasn't a second door. They were trapped. John whipped off his jacket and handed it to Rose. "BREATHE THROUGH THIS!" he yelled, then pushed her to Koshi and made his way to the fire extinguisher. 

He got there, barely able to see, the smoke was burning his eyes so badly. It was an old style extinguisher box, with a glass cover that you were supposed to break to get it. But there was nothing to break the glass with. Not only that, but the glass looked different, like it may have been replaced at one time. 

He had no choice, the flames were now at the ceiling. He swung back with his left elbow and struck the glass with it, smashing it. No one heard his yell above the other screams, but he knew right away what happened. Someone had replaced the original glass with some not intended to be broken easily. It must be a problem in the club, people vandalizing, but in this case it broke into shards, one of which was currently sticking out of the back of his arm. 

He reached over, yanking it out with another yell that went unheard. He also knew that pulling a penetrating object out of a wound was among the worst things he could do. But he needed to be able to use the arm. 

He reached in then and pulled out the extinguisher. He pulled the ring and depressed the handle, hoping for a spray, but nothing came out. On further inspection, there was a tag on it. No one had looked at that canister since 1995. It was useless. 

But maybe not. 

The scene in the room went from bad to worse as the panic rose. 

People were literally running over others to get out. He felt a drop on his head. The sprinklers in the ceiling were failing, dropping a few miniscule drips rather than the spray they were supposed to deliver. 

John made his way back to Koshi, who had Rose and the girls huddling near him, watching the mayhem around them. Pushing past Koshi, John saw the so-called emergency doors. He still held the useless extinguisher. Then he had an idea. 

The first hit did nothing, but the second hit yielded a dent. He slammed the canister into the door handles again and again. Something had to give way. He hit again and again. It was getting harder to breathe. The smoke was getting thick, burning his lungs when he had to breathe deep with exertion. But finally with what he thought may be the last of his energy, he landed a strong blow and one of the push bars broke off, letting him remove the chain and open the door. 

Rose, John, Koshi and the girls poured out into the courtyard coughing and gasping. 

John directed them over to a far wall. He took deep breaths, but was wracked with coughs. He hadn't had anything over his mouth, the others had. People were pouring out behind them. 

"Bonnie! Where's Bonnie?" Rose asked, looking at Shareen and Jessica, who shook their heads. 

"OMIGOD she's still inside!" Rose cried. 

John was on his feet again. He pointed a finger at her. "If you never do anything else," he rasped out, "do this. Stay here. " He coughed violently for a moment, but even before he caught his breath again, he had run back in. 

Rose and Koshi and the others watched in horror as John reentered the building. Seconds later, more people came flying out. He was shoving people out. They watched in horror as John came out again, dragging a girl that looked like Bonnie, stopped, looked at her, set her down and went back in. 

Rose and the the remaining girls sat locked together, eyes glued to the doors, petrified about what would happen next. 

Smoke was pouring out too, obscuring the doorway. But then John was there, holding a small limp figure that he set before Koshi. 

"She's breathing," he said, his voice coming out in a growl. He then doubled over with coughs. 

The girls fawned over their friend, who was starting to move. Bonnie began coughing and came around about a minute later. Only to be hugged fiercely by Rose. 

Once John recovered from his own coughing fit, he stood. "We need to get out of here. Let's get to the front of the building." He coughed again. 

Koshi stood up and picked up Bonnie and they started to walk. Rose came up next to John, still holding his jacket. "You're bleeding." she pointed to the back of his left arm. 

He glanced down, then turned his arm so he could see. He had a gash running along the back of his arm, gaping open but not bleeding severely. He stopped briefly, leaned over and pulled at his right pant leg. He straightened up and was holding a bleeding control kit. From it he pulled an Israeli dressing, then handed the kit to her to hold. Rose watched in awe as he applied it to the wound one handed. It was clearly a well practiced maneuver. 

She turned the kit over in her hand. He finished putting on his dressing and gave her a smug smirk. "All done, lets move," he growled. 

"Why do you carry this?" she asked. 

"To stop bleeding," he said, pushing his way through the crowd of hysterical people. His voice was nearly impossible to hear over the crowd. It sounded raw, like every word hurt. 

He reached back and took her arm, guiding her through the crowd. This time she didn't resist. 

In front they delivered Bonnie to the paramedics amassing outside and Jessica opted to stay with her. Rose, Shareen and Koshi got in the back of the limo. Rose, just before getting in, looked at him as if wanting to say something, but he was already reaching for the passenger front door. 

On the way back he phoned Jack, told him what was up and arranged for Rose's personal physician to meet them at the house to check the remaining girls out for smoke inhalation. Jack had to keep asking him to repeat himself due to his voice, but he got the point across. 

All in all they got back late. It was nearly 1 am when John left after seeing that Rose should be fine and watching her go to her room to shower off the remnants of the fire. Only then did John let Koshi relieve him to go to the emergency department himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Early posting! I thought I wanted to get things moving a little faster. I've parceled this story out to be 22 chapters, but I won't let it go 22 weeks. Who has that kind of time? I'll try to at least post twice a week. My chapters are usually pretty big too, so you'll be able to really get into the story. 
> 
> Today, in the wake of the fire and rescue, one of them starts to turn a corner. Who will it be?

The next morning John got up early as usual. He had made it back to the house at 3 am, after getting sewed up. They also insisted on helping with is smoke inhalation. He tried to resist, but was stopped by a coughing fit. They had him on oxygen for a little while, but he asked to take it off. The frustrated emergency doctor prescribed two inhalers and let him out, though making him swear to come back if he got worse. 

Now he stood in the kitchen, having his coffee, and shaking up a protein shake when he heard a noise behind him. 

Rose had woken early, the events of the previous night playing heavily on her mind. She and the girls had escaped their bodyguards for fun. But then it became unfun very fast. She was feeling oppressed and she wanted to escape, have a little freedom. But she never intended on having anything bad happen. This was the first time that the threats against her felt real. 

It had felt great to escape for a while, but then everything went to shit. All they wanted to do was have a good time.   
Her mind raced. Had it been the person who wanted to kill her that caused the fire? Clubs had fires, everyone knew that. But, was this one on purpose? Escaping to the back had been Shareen's idea. She had said that there was a guy back there that she wanted Rose to meet. He was a dancer that she had worked with apparently he was hot and not gay, two of Rose's standards for a guy. He also had to have a sense of humor, but she could determine that later. He had apparently brought some friends to the club too, but of course things got bad before they could meet. 

As she took a shower that morning, the smoke smell still trapped in her hair was wafting up and making her cough, even though she had showered the night before. She thought about being saved by John. She had thought him hot from the first day, but now she saw him different. He was in every sense a hero. He saved her, with shear brute force, but then, after making she she was safe, went back in for Bonnie. He wouldn't even let her doctor see him, in fact, she wondered if he had gotten treatment at all.   
She had gotten a text when she had woken that morning. Bonnie had spent the night in the observation area of emergency, but had been released. She was going home to sleep. Rose took a deep breath. 

She dried her hair with a towel and, not wanting to go through the effort of using a hair dryer, pulled it up into a pony tail, slipped on sweatpants and a vest top, and grabbed her computer. No one was coming over that day, so makeup was forgone. 

She padded down to the kitchen and stopped short. John was standing there, his back to her. He was shaking a protein shake with one arm. He wore short running shorts, that made Rose slowly raise her eyes up his very toned legs. On top he wore a tight fitting athletic vest top. His left arm was bandaged, but it was a different bandage than he had put on the night before. She also noticed something else. He had a thick scar that ran along the back of his shoulder, over the joint and a few inches down the arm. It was an old one, not pink anymore, but it was relatively straight. 

She took another step and he turned. He immediately threw a towel over the object of her focus. “Why are you up so early?” he asked, voice still quite raspy. 

“I like mornings," she countered, tearing her eyes away from his now covered shoulder and looking him in the eyes, the steel blueness of which were piercing her. 

He turned back and picked up his coffee. “I figured a party girl like yourself would sleep in.” 

She set her laptop on a nearby table and crossed her arms. “I’m not all party. You have your job I have mine. I have to work on some stuff. I get my best work done before anyone else is up. “

“I better get dressed then.”

“Why?”

“Because if you are up, I’m on duty.” He started towards his room 

“Are you alright?” she blurted out, before he could leave.

He lifted an eyebrow, and she pointed to his bandage. "Your arm.”

“I’m always alright," he grumbled back, turning away again.

“When did you go get it fixed?” she persisted. 

He turned back, his expression a little exasperated.“Last night after you went upstairs. Koshi covered and I went to an emergency room.” 

“How many stitches?”

“Twenty.” He started to turn again. 

“Are your lungs OK? You still sound bad. What did they say?”

He sighed, resting his hand on the doorknob. “They said, I’ll live. My voice will get better in a few days.”

“You did this after you brought me home? Aren’t you tired?”

“I don’t need much sleep.” This time he didn't attempt to keep moving. He thought that she perhaps wasn't done.

She got quiet, fidgeting, and taking her tip of her thumbnail into her mouth to chew on. She looked down at the ground in front of her. “I want to thank you for saving me and my friends. “ 

He looked at her for a moment.“No thanks needed, it’s my job and I was doing it.” With that he turned and entered his room. 

Rose shook her head. “Bastard.” She had actually legitimately wanted to thank him. Especially after she had been so difficult. But he had shut her down. The night before when she yelled that she hated him it was in anger. She knew what he was there for and he was just doing his job. But his reaction back to her had been so cold. He hated her. She didn't know why that bothered her so much.   
OoOoO

That day and the days that followed were considerably calmer than the others. Rose had a few more dancing rehearsals and some time in her personal studio. John found himself doing checks on several musicians and DJs that were coming in and out. Rose was right, She wasn't all party. She worked really hard. He worked too. Construction of safety features on the house started and he had to spearhead that. He was careful to only allow work on her room during the times she was working, all work had to be wrapped up before the end of the day. On top of all that he was given Rose's full schedule for the coming months. It included a scheduled trip to London for a performance on an awards show accompanied by a promotional visit of some kind and a couple of parties. His company, Gallifrey security, had a London office, so even though he had to go, that meant he could have a little time off in his home town, which he was looking forward to. He still would be #1 on Rose, but he would be able to sneak away. 

Rose ignored him for the most part around the house and studio. He was always there though. Standing silently, watching, or sometimes sitting at the back of the room, but he never left her side when she was up. He only went on high alert once, when things got a little heated between Rose and one of the DJs. He stood up, starting towards them but she held out a hand, stopping him, without even taking her eyes off the man she was fighting with. It was definitely an "I can take care of this" hand but he took no offence. Rose was a strong woman. He appreciated that she fought her own battles. He remained standing, but just watched. Shortly after that, she diffused the situation and they moved on. 

This meant a few things to John: She was acutely aware of him, and she knew what she was doing. It only solidified the notion that she was a professional, at least when she was working. 

OoOoOo  
The investigation into the fire was not going as well as John had hoped. Speakers did not blow up like that, and fire did not spread like that. But the age of the club and the fact that most of the surfaces around the speaker were flammable made it difficult to figure the cause. The fire had burned really hot that night, but with what John could only attribute as tremendous luck, no one died. In fact, the room that they were in was the only one with chained doors. The others were fine. That was what was so concerning. The club owner swore that the place was safe, and it was, relatively so, but not where they were. The heat of the fire may have erased all evidence. So it could have been a fluke, or it could have been an attempt on Rose's life. The assassin had remained quiet, no admissions. So John and everyone else were left to wonder if someone had intended on Rose not making it out alive that night, or it was just bad luck. 

It played heavily on John’s mind. It made him double check things he had already checked. It made him hover a little closer to Rose. He made them also work a little harder on getting her room ready. It wouldn't be long now. 

He could tell it weighed on her too. She didn’t go out of the house, unless it was to a safe place. And John was always with her. They didn’t talk, as she was usually engaged in talking with others, but she began to slow so he could check rooms, or open doors. He never said a word to her about it, but he could tell. 

His voice recovered nicely in the coming days and the coughing stopped. Lastly, a week after the stitches went in, they came out, an John felt 100% again.   
OoOoOo

The trip to London came faster than John had anticipated. They were to leave late at night for the nearly 12 hour flight. He packed a ruck sack and had a hanging bag for his suit clothes. When he finished, he brought his stuff out to the front of the house and stopped. It was getting dark outside and the lights in front of the house lit a strange sight. There were at least ten suitcases and similar luggage containers, all designer, and all stacked up. The SUV that was to take them to the airport was pulling a silver trailer. House staff was quickly working to load it all up. He was watching with awe when Rose and Bonnie walked up, both clearly in pajamas. Bonnie had recovered nicely from her prior trauma and had no lingering symptoms. John attributed it to her youth. 

"Is that all you have?" Rose asked, pointing to John's bags. 

John had his ruck sack in his hand and his hanging bag over his shoulder. 

He looked at her, his mouth still agape. "Is this all for you?" he asked, aghast.

"Yup, it's costumes for the show, a few dresses to pick from and everything else I need."

"How can one person require so much stuff? We are going for a few days. "

Rose giggled at him. This was one of her few interactions with him for the last few days, and she was finding humor in his face of total confusion. "A girl needs what she needs. " She flipped her hair and went to go sit in the back seat of the SUV. John shook his head and carefully put his stuff in the back of the SUV where he could see it. 

He watched the helpers put in the last of Rose's luggage and climbed in the passenger seat of the car. He turned to Rose in the back. "Are we picking up Shareen or Jessica?" he asked, clicking his seat belt. They were taking a private jet so who was coming didn't matter, but he was always making plans. 

Rose shook her head. "They both have to work, so It's just us, But Jack is meeting us at the airport. 

He looked to Bonnie. "Are you staying with Rose at the hotel?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm staying with my grandmother. "

"And Jack?"

"He has a place in London. I do too, well I bought it for my mum, but and your company says it's not safe for me there. So it looks like you are I are bunking together. " She smiled, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth just a little. 

"Hardly, " he said coolly, turning back to face front. Rose gave him a withering look and settled in. Soon the car was pulling away from the house. 

Koshi met them at the plane hangar with Jack. Koshi had two things in his hands similar to John. He also pulled a face when he saw Rose's luggage. "Well, we don't have to worry about the house here getting robbed," he said quietly to John, "she brought the whole darn place."

John leaned down to Koshi's ear. "No, she left the plumbing, it wouldn't fit in the bags. "

Koshi snorted. 

John had traveled on many a private jet before. It was most certainly a perk of the job. This jet was no different on the outside. The inside, however, was different from most. Usually they had comfortable chairs around in various groups with tables. Some had small bedrooms or just one bed at the back. Rose's jet looked like a dorm room. He had multiple soft surfaces and couches, and televisions throughout. There was a bar in the back, and several doors that he believed were either bathrooms or bedrooms. It had mirrors everywhere and even a small disco ball hung form the ceiling. It was painted in bright colors too, the polar opposite from what John was used to. 

John had climbed up into the cabin and Koshi was right behind him. Koshi let out a low whistle and John elbowed him lightly. Rose, Jack and Bonnie settled themselves on one of the couches and John found himself one of the normal chairs in the cabin. Though his hanging bag went under the plane, his ruck sack stayed with him. He put it in the seat and went to go chat with the captain. 

When John came back after not only speaking to the captain but the crew also, he found Koshi seated on the couch next to the girls and Jack. The conversation was lively. 

John furrowed his brows at Koshi, who mouthed back,"What?"

John shook his head and slipped into his seat. He then pulled out headphones and put them on. He selected one of his favorite podcasts and settled in. They would be arriving at about 8:00 pm London time. His plan was to take a kip for a few hours, then again when they got to the hotel. That would acclimate him to their time and allow him to do his job better. 

A few hours later he woke to a dark cabin, the only lights were emergency lights on the floor. He got up and stretched, hit the head, and looked around. Koshi was asleep in a chair across the row from him. Bonnie was sprawled out on a couch, and the two bedrooms were occupied. He figured that Rose and Jack each had one. 

He made his way back to his chair and pulled up his laptop, firing it up and logging into the Wi-Fi on the plane. 

Rose was scheduled to have a rehearsal day on the next day after she arrived. Her dancers would arrive on another flight. Then that night she was scheduled to go to a pre-party event. The following day would be the awards ceremony and and after party. Then the next day there was some sort of charity function at a community center. Rose was dedicating something. The good part of that was that it was not publicized. The people involved knew something was happening, but only the director of the place knew who was coming, and he was sworn to secrecy. They then would be leaving sometime the day or so after the ceremony. It would depend on how Rose was feeling. That part was easy since they had the jet. 

But now he was emailing his company in London, looking at schematics for the ceremony building and making plans. He always made plans. He had backup plans for his backup plans. But he was only doing it for the day of the event. Koshi was in charge of the rehearsal/party day. John had asked specifically for the day off. He had a few things to attend to. 

About ten hours into the flight, John noticed an increase in turbulence. He got up and went to the cockpit. 

There he found out that they had encountered some weather and had to go around it. The plane would be fine and had enough fuel, but it would put them there later than they expected. John thanked the pilot and went back to his seat. 

He went to go sit down and nearly jumped out of his skin. At first he didn't see in the darkness, but then he saw a figure. A figure of Rose Tyler in the chair next to his. She had her legs curled under her and a fuzzy blanket over her. She looked up at him hopefully. 

"You should be sleeping," he said, voice low as to not disturb Bonnie or Koshi.

"I couldn't sleep. "

"Oh." He took his seat next to her. 

She wiggled in her seat, causing him to look over. "Can I help you with something?" he asked.

She paused, stirred and looked back at him. "Do you think I'm safe?"

"If you're with me, you're safe, " he said. 

She blinked. "Someone's doing bad things. Do you think the fire at the club was for me?"

"They're still trying to determine that. There is no telling right now. But stick to me and follow the rules and you will live through this. You have my word."

Rose looked back at him for a few moments. This was the most meaningful exchange she had ever had with him. He didn't look cold or perturbed, but resolute. He believed what he was saying. Something about that made her calm considerably. She sighed. 

"You should go back to sleep," he said. 

Again she eyed him. "Can I stay here?" 

He raised an eyebrow. 

She frowned. "OK, I had a bad dream. Can I sit here with you? I promise not to bother. I just can't go back to bed. "

"That's fine with me. I'm planning for the ceremony day. I may have to type and stuff."

"What about the night before? Are you working on that too?"

"I have a plan, but it doesn’t involve you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m off tomorrow. I have some things to do. You will be going with Koshi.”

“I thought your job was to be with me all the time.”

He gave her a look similar to what a teacher may give a student who kept asking questions. “Yes and no, but I have a day off. Koshi will be working with the London branch of the company. He'll keep you safe.“

Rose gave him a worried look but instead of saying anything just brought her blanket up near her face and reclined the chair. Shorty thereafter he heard slow breathing. She had fallen back asleep. 

OoOoOo  
~Minutes earlier~  
Fire raged around Rose Tyler, but she couldn't scream. She tried to run but couldn't move. She looked down and her legs were tied down with burning ropes. She was burning. Through the smoke she could see the figure of the John. He reached for her. Their finger tips touched, but before she could take his hand, she was pulled down but the ropes around her feet. She tried to scream again, but it came out as a strangled gasp. She was going to go down the fire. She could hear John yelling, but she looked down and saw that now she was on a catwalk and below her in the fire was a figure in a black hooded cape. It was pulling on the ropes that bound her. John was moving towards her, trying to get her, but the was just out of reach. There was one great tug on her legs and she was consumed by the fire.   
Rose sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath. She kicked her legs furiously in the bed, but found that nothing was holding them. It was a dream. She took a few more minutes to breathe deeply, but going back to sleep wasn't an option, at least not right away. She could feel the light turbulence and it was enough to spur her out of bed. Outside of her bedroom, she saw the chairs that had been occupied by John, and started over.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's get things moving, shall we? This one has some references to the effects of head injury, just a warning. Though if you have read my other stuff, you know I have the propensity for brutality. This is not to bad. 
> 
> Would you like some back story? Maybe some insight into why John is the way he is? Well, if not, I'm going to do it anyway. This is another building chapter, but I swear the cuteness is coming. Then more angst, then more cuteness, then more angst... etc.

Hours later Rose stirred. John was just sitting down after checking with the captain again. 

“It looks like our flight may be delayed a bit for weather, Miss Tyler. You will most likely miss your dinner arrangements.” He re-clicked his seatbelt. 

Rose looked him over. It was a nearly ten hour flight and he looked like he was totally awake and put together, rather like he had just stepped onto the plane. She sat up, resting her feet on the floor. “If we are going to spend every waking hour together, or nearly everyone, you should call me Rose. I mean I call you John. But did I hear Koshi call you Doctor once?” 

He wrinkled his nose and she giggled, lighting up her face. He can’t help but smirk, not smile. “I actually think you haven't called me anything. But Doctor is my codename." 

“Why? Why are you called that?”

He took a deep breath. “I fix things, I make everything better. People are safe around me.” 

“Ok Doctor, I’m glad we had this talk.”

“You can still call me John if you want, Miss Tyler.” 

“Rose.”

“Rose.” He nodded with a smirk.

The plane landed a little while later. This time there was a waiting limo for John, Rose and Bonnie. Along the way they would drop off Bonnie at home. Koshi was to take a separate van and drive Rose's luggage to the hotel. Jack had his own ride.

John climbed into the front of the limo, like usual. After dropping Bonnie, they were on the road again. Rose lowered the privacy screen and stuck her head all the way though and John turned to look at her, a humorous look on his face. 

“I’m hungry. Can we stop for food?” she asked, smiling hugely. Her smile even got bigger at his response.

John schooled his features. “I advise against it Mi- Rose. You can order room service once we get there.“ 

She frowned, her head still comically through the hole. "That’s not what I want though.”

He rolled his eyes. “What do you want?”

"I know a place. But don't worry, I can buy it on an app and we just go and pick it up. "

John suppressed his suffering sigh, knowing that fighting with her on this issue was a waste. 

Rose popped her head back through the hole a minute later to give directions. Shortly thereafter they arrived at a fast food fish and chip place. John turned to her again and gave her a questioning look. 

She let out a giggle. "I like chips. OK? I'll be right back." She pulled her head back out. 

"Oh no you don't," he called after her. "Stay in the car. I'll get it."

"Fine," came a small voice from the back. 

He jumped out of the car and walked into the restaurant. He picked up the food, and it was in a surprisingly bigger bag than he had expected. But still he jogged back to the car, handing it to Rose into the back of the car. He chuckled to himself as he saw people, patrons and employees alike, lined up at the front windows of the restaurant, trying to see who was in the limo. Then they all watched as the limo pulled away. 

When they got to the hotel, John opened the car door for Rose, and she got out, carrying her dinner. She stayed close as he escorted her in. His things had been loaded on the plane and were coming with Koshi which left his hands free. They were met there by two members of the local security team. They had brief words and went into the lobby. 

There they were met by the hotel manager, who was nearly bouncing out of is suit. His name was Kenny, as he told him with a little too much enthusiasm. He never stopped talking, even in the lift. Rose rolled her eyes dramatically at John after Kenny told her about the room's amenities twice, causing John to smirk. That only made Rose giggle. Kenny didn't even notice the exchange when the lift dinged and they got out. 

"Here we are," announced Kenny, "two of our finest rooms. They have a door separating them, but it can be propped open, depending on what you need."

John took a breath. He hadn't planned on have adjoining rooms, but soon figured that he would just leave the door closed. "And our third room?" he inquired.

"Exactly across the hall," Kenny answered, opening the door to Rose's room. John stepped in first, clearing the room, then Rose came in. John thanked the manager, slipping him some money, and turned to Rose.

"Well... Rose. There will be guards posted on either end of the hall, so no escaping. Please stay in your room. If you need anything, um, knock on the door separating our rooms, I suppose."

Rose set the food on a table. "I thought you were off duty."

"Not until the morning. At that time Koshi will come for you to escort you to the venue for rehearsal. You can order room service, obviously. And according to Kenny, their food is quite good.” 

Rose smiled at the reference, then looked at him questioningly. Was that humor she detected? But his face had remained neutral. 

He went and opened the door separating their rooms. He peeked into his room and looked back at her. "Goodnight Rose."

He turned to go to his room when she called out. "I got food for both of us. "

"Hmm?" He turned back.

"You didn't eat either. I got a lot of food. You don't have to sit with me, but I got you food." She was busily unpacking things, not looking at him. 

He stalled. Rose had outright ignored him for days, but now she was going to feed him? 

"Unless you have something else to do," she said, still digging in the bag. 

She set out two sets of fried fish and chips, after which she went to the fully stocked bar in the corner and retrieved two water bottles, holding one out to him. The smell of the food was making his mouth water. 

John went over without a word, taking a water, then pulling out a chair for her, then one for him. They both settled and John watched as she tore open three packets of malt vinegar and poured them over her fish and chips. 

"Do you want any food with your vinegar?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Hush," she said, "you're disturbing a religious experience."

He laughed, watching her pop a chip into her mouth. She groaned loudly, and rather salaciously. He followed suit too, and before he knew it, he made a similar sound. 

"Amazing, right?" she asked, around her chip. 

He nodded. "No one does chips like England. I've had them in the states a few times, but nothing compares to this. I think I might be in heaven. Thank you." He reached for another chip.

He stopped. She was looking at him oddly. 

"What?" he asked. 

"That's the most I've ever heard you talk to me; I mean apart from giving me directions, " she answered, suddenly very interested in her water bottle.

"I'm a man of few words," he countered, now starting at his fish. He was looking down now and didn't see her appraising stare. 

There was little more conversation, usually started by her asking this and that about the venue and such. He was finishing when there was a knock at the door. He got up and opened it. It was Koshi, Kenny and a bellman with Rose's luggage. 

Rose saw to the setting up of it all including the hanging up of her dresses in the closet. Then she spoke with Koshi about the plans for the morning. When she was done, she looked around and John was gone, the mess from dinner was cleaned up and the door between their rooms closed. 

OoOoOo

Early the next morning, John got up, did pushups and sit-ups, squats and planks and took a shower. While he was dressing her heard a knock at Rose's door and after she answered, something was called out about room service. A little while later there was another knock and he could hear Koshi's voice talking to Rose. Shortly thereafter he got a text that the ride he had ordered was downstairs waiting for him. 

It was a nice day in London, though rain was predicted. Wasn't rain always predicted? But for now the sun was shining, making the neighborhood just out of the city look all the more charming. Each house, though not huge, was well kept. Each had a little manicured front garden and many had flowerbeds brimming with bright blooms. The car pulled up to one of those houses in the middle of the block and stopped. This was like all the rest, happy flowers rimming the walkway as well as hanging pots overflowing with blooms. This house had one difference though, it had a wheelchair ramp in the front rather than stairs leading to the front door. 

John paid the driver and got out, walking up the ramp to the door, where he rang the bell. After a minute of shuffling around and some talking, the door opened to reveal a nice looking older woman. She had curly grey hair and was wearing a house dress covered in an apron. She was eagerly wiping her hands on the apron.

"Oh John! It's so good to see you. Please come in, won't you?"

John smiled, following her into the home. Though it had wide doorways and unobstructed halls, the rest of the place was packed. The bookcases were full of knickknacks, and designed teacups. There were also a lot of pictures showing a young light-haired boy smiling, holding up a fish on a line or showing off a lost tooth. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Frame. How is he today?"

She frowned a little. Well, you know about the same. He had a cough last week and that was a little difficult, but now he's doing fine. He's been pretty alert today. I was just sitting with him in the front room after I fed him. He'll be so happy to see you!"

She led John into the room by the front door. In it was a large wheelchair, the kind that went up to help hold someone's head, facing out a side window. John came up alongside the chair and the occupant rolled his head over to see him. John broke into a wide smile. "Well there you are Alonzo! How are you doing today?"

The thin young blonde man in the chair quirked a half a smile and let out a strangled noise that John interpreted as a greeting, but his eyes lit up at the sight of the man next to him. Alonzo's hand on the same side that he was smiling on, came to reach out to John. John took the hand and squeezed it. "I'm here to make sure you're not giving your Mum grief." John said, still holding the hand. 

Alonzo rolled his head back over to see his mother. "Oh no, John, He's been an angel. Well, he fussed when I cleaned him up his morning, but he's been fine since. Please, John, sit. Would you like some tea?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Frame, I'm good, but thank you." John pulled one of the chairs that was next to the sofa right up next to Alonzo's chair so he could see his friend easily. Alonzo's gaze was locked on John. He made a series of happy sounds at him. To John, they made it sound as if his friend had been talking to him. After a pause, John starting talking. "Well I've been in America for the last few months, wow, has it maybe been more? Anyway I'm doing a lot of bodyguard work. Right now I have this brat of a girl. I suppose she's talented, but she's annoying to the power of ten." John laughed at his own joke, and Alonzo wheezed out a laugh too, making John wonder if he actually did comprehend what he was saying. John went on about his life in America, as if the conversation was two sided, and Alonzo watched him the entire time. On the other side, his mother sat quietly, listening and knitting. After John had gone on for a while he looked up at Alonzo's mum. 

"Mrs. Frame? Do you have anything you need to do? I mean you don't have to sit in here with us. We'll just be telling war stories. 

Mrs. Frame sat up. "Really? I would love to pop down to Tesco's for a bit. Oh, and my friend Dolores has been bugging me to meet for tea. Are you sure you're OK? He's been fed and everything. "

John nodded. "Please go. I have your number, just remember your phone, in case we have a problem, but he was never a problem, even right out of boot camp. Other than being a bit green." He gently slugged Alonzo on the arm. 

"Ok then, let me get ready, Oh thank you, John!" She bustled out of the room. A minute later John could hear her on the phone making plans to meet someone. She came out a few minutes after that. She had changed into a dress and was adjusting a hat on her head. "I won't be long, two hours at most. Oh, thank you. My son, he's wonderful, but I could do with a break from time to time. I have my phone." She patted her purse. "There's soda in the fridge. Please feel free to help yourself. If Alonzo wants, he can sip a little water. I have his water bottle in the kitchen." Then she went over, kissed her son on the cheek and said, "Now Alonzo. You behave yourself. "

"If he doesn't, I can always make him do pushups," John deadpanned. Alonzo turned his head to him and made another happy noise. 

After Mrs. Frame left, John went into the kitchen, retrieved a soda for him and Alonzo's water and settled back in the chair. "So do you know who I heard from the other day? Do you remember Private Davis? I'll never forget that time in Kandahar. I nearly shit myself!" Alonzo snorted. 

It went on like that for a full hour. John talked and Alonzo made noises. John carried on like there was no communication difficulty. He gave his friend water from time to time, but they laughed and John talked. But for the lack of a two sided conversation, anyone that had been listening would have thought it was just a meeting of old friends. 

After an hour though, John could tell that Alonzo was tiring. So he got up, helped recline his friend's chair a little then went over to the collection of DVDs on the bookshelf. 

"Well what do we have here?" he asked, perusing the titles. "Top gun?" Alonzo grunted. "Umm, Pearl Harbor?" another grunt. "Oh, here, "The Battle of Britain?" Alonzo made a better noise. "OK, here we go." John put the movie in and sat down again with his friend. They both watched for a while, but after about an hour, Alonzo was asleep.

John heard the jingle of keys in the door and hopped up to go open it. "Hello Mrs. Frame. Did you get your things done?"

She nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, John, I even met my friend. It was lovely to have a little time to myself. Was he OK for you?"

"He was fine. We talked and then when he got tired I put on a movie."

She came in and took off her hat. "It's so wonderful when you come. I wish you weren't in America. He so enjoys it when you visit. Right after the accident we had a lot of visitors, but now there are so few, well, actually none. You're the only one from his battalion that stops by. He loves it so much. You don't treat him like he's broken, either. When you're here he seems almost normal, or as normal as he can be."

John smiled at the compliment. "I know, I wish I could come more. It was great to see you and him. I'll be back before too long. Did you get my last check for respite care?"

"Yes, I'm so sorry I forgot to thank you for that. I got it when he was sick last week. It means so much to me that you help with that. We've got a nice young man that comes in about twice a week. Alonzo loves him. I need it now more than ever. They stopped paying for him to be in therapy. I guess they finally decided that he's not getting any better..."She dropped off the last part of the sentence, her eyes moving to the back of Alonzo's chair. 

"I'm happy to help." John said quickly like he was grabbing to save her from falling into unhappiness. "Anything I can do for my men. He was a good soldier. I want to see him comfortable."

With watery eyes, Mrs. Frame gave John a tight hug. "I know it must be hard to see him like his. But it means the world to him that you come here. He's so happy for a few days after you visit. You make him feel like a real person."

"I wish I could do more," John said. 

"You do plenty," she countered. Then she got on her tiptoes, planted a kiss on his cheek and bid him goodbye. 

After a look back at his sleeping friend and another wave to his mother, John walked down the ramp leading to the house and started down the street. He needed to walk. Before he knew it a tear had escaped, which he wiped away quickly. But it didn't matter, rain had started to fall, as if mimicking his mood. 

Alonzo Frame had been in John's unit. They had fought side by side in Afghanistan before John had been shot. A stray bullet had gotten him in the leg. Well technically, he had been shot in the leg, which wouldn't have been that bad, but he was climbing stairs at the time and when his unit came under fire, one of the men ahead of him had fallen, pushing John down the stairs. In the tumble he dislocated his knee. The bullet itself hadn't done a lot of damage, but the fall caused him to need surgery to the ligaments including placement of a cadaver ligament. While he had been working to get back, Alonzo had promoted and his unit was added to and subtracted from. When it was time for John to go back, the face of it had changed. Instead of training all new people to his standards, he opted to take the chance and not re-up his enlistment. He had known Koshi for years, they were the same rank and rose up together through the ranks. Koshi had been discharged the year before and offered to put in a good word for John at his security firm. John started soon thereafter, soon becoming Koshi's superior. Mainly because of John's concentration and attention to detail. Immediately it was noticed that he was made for this job. At first Koshi was a little miffed, but his tendency towards distraction and John's ability to work around Koshi's issues, made them a good team. 

John was working in Los Angeles at the time Alonzo had his accident. Work had taken him to America, and he found a place there and was doing well guarding various dignitaries. He also took a liking to the sun in California. He had worked out there a while before being assigned to guard the young punk rapper, Monk. The kid, he was only 19, was a massive pain and did whatever he could to get into trouble. He thought he needed protection and had amassed guns and all sorts of things that are hoarded by people that think the guns protect you. John however, knew that only people who are trained to use guns can protect someone.

He ruffled a lot of feathers clearing out the arsenal that the kid loved to pose with on social media, but had no clue how to properly use or maintain. The kid hated him, but John kept him safe in the wake of the threats against him. Monk had been one of the earlier of the young stars to be threatened. 

When Alonzo's unit had come across an IED and Alonzo had experienced a massive head injury, John immediately flew back to England to be with his mum. During that time Monk had snuck out of his mansion to go to a club alone. His threat had been that he would be struck down, and he was. He died in the street. The driver was never caught. 

John had told him before he left about the threat, but the punk wanted to party more than he wanted to stay alive. If he had stayed put he would have been safe. Even though John was not at fault and Monk had made it past tight security on the way out, he felt the failure. Koshi told him again and again that it was not his fault, but John not being there made him feel like Monk, in all his annoying, fake gangster glory, would have been alive. He had been at Alonzo's bedside when he found out. 

John had been walking, the rain coming down harder on him for quite some time. H should have just gotten a car and gone back to the hotel. But that wasn't happening. Seeing Alonzo always hurt, but he deserved to have the attention. His mum also needed a break. She took care of her son tirelessly. John sent what he could, buying and building the wheelchair ramp, retrofitting the shower to be roll in, etcetera. But ultimately he needed to go back to work. But he focused more on adults, though few were much more adult acting, until he met was assigned to Rose.

Compared to some of his jobs in the past, Rose was not bad. Like the others, she had a propensity to disappear. But by now he knew the tricks. Everyone thought they were the first. They weren't. Despite his original attitude, he was coming to tolerate her. He recognized her work ethic, something that didn't seem common among the young and talented. John called them "talented but lazy" all they wanted to do was make money and party. But Rose had more to her, he could see that. 

It was nice that she had gotten him dinner. He had no idea what he was going to get, maybe settling for whatever the hotel kitchen had after he got her settled. He also didn't know why she was talking to him all of a sudden. Her planting herself in the chair next to him on the flight was certainly odd. Maybe he reminded her of someone. 

John continued to walk until he was stopped by a wrought iron gate. He looked up through the rain and saw the headstones, all lined up. Why had he ended up here? He knew this place. He had been here before, at the burial. He walked through the gate with practiced ease and wound his way through the rows of graves until he game to a familiar one. The headstone was engraved with Romana's name and dates of birth and death. Under those was a quote. "She shone bright for a small time, but touched many hearts." John huffed. That she did. He leaned over and knocked some debris off he top of the headstone, cleaning it off. Then he looked up the sky as if for inspiration and then turned to leave, cursing himself or not having anything other to say than, "I'm sorry."

As he walked out the gate the rain let up a bit. Down the street was a market. He went in, just now noticing the chill that his walk had given him. He bought some soup, crisps, a big sandwich and a bottle of whiskey it wasn't that big, but would he perfect for him. Then he went outside and called for a ride back to the hotel.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a little bit of scary, a little bit of funny, a little bit of fluff, and a whole lot of cute. It was among my favorite chapters to write.

The day had been long for Rose. Rehearsals had lasted longer than she had anticipated and were frustrating. The stage was smaller than she had been told due to ornamental columns that had been installed. They spent a good deal on time on Facetime with Shareen tweaking the moves and overall choreography to fit it in. Then she had to go back to the hotel, shower, wait for Bonnie to come and do hair and makeup, and make it out to the party. Koshi had been by her side all day. But he was different than the John. He was of engaged, talked to her more and stayed physically closer. But she also didn't feel as safe with him. He was more like a friend than a body guard. Sure, he escorted her here and there, worked with the other people assigned to her, but he often watched the action, whereas John watched the whole room. She had noticed this days ago. His eyes never stopped moving. He never stopped surveying. It also seemed that he missed nothing. 

But Koshi still did the job so she wasn't complaining. 

That night the party was at the huge mansion of a well known recording star turned record mogul. Rose had met him a handful of times and he had helped her get her start years ago. She had dressed that night in a hot red dress with a plunging neckline and sky high pumps. Bonnie wasn't invited to this shindig, so Rose went alone, but with Koshi of course. He rode in the back of the limo like he usually did, another difference between him and John. 

The night had been nice. There were plenty of photographers around to capture the evening and send the pictures to the important places so those who needed to be seen were seen. Rose ate minimally, mostly due to the skin tight dress, and had a few flutes of champagne. Jack had been with her for a while, but found an old friend, Ianto, and soon disappeared. 

The party was very nice, someone had fantastic attention to detail. But the problem was that Rose got bored. The one disadvantage to being young and talented was that there weren't many others that shared your plight. Sure there were others there, but she quickly found out that they were into partying very hard and that wasn't her gig. Well it was, but this was different, especially when things started to be snorted up noses. 

She had kept an eye on Koshi throughout the night, and he was always around, but clearly distracted by the goings on. He shot her a smile periodically, but it was easy to lose him in the crowd. She wasn't even trying this time. She was seated now in the main room, the room with a dancefloor installed. The music was booming and many people had moved to it. The music playing was all from the people in attendance, including Rose. It was fun watching people dance to her music. She had been talking to a producer that had been trying to work with her for a year, but he got up to dance. After her day she wasn't so excited to follow. 

She felt movement next to her and looked up. Koshi was there. "Hey Rose, I need the loo. I'm not sure that what was in that salad agreed with me. Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, walking rather stiffly away. 

"Miss Tyler?" a voice came from her other side. She turned to face its origin, a portly man in a bad suit with a big camera. 

"May I help you?" she asked, not really wanting to engage, but also trying to be polite. 

"Miss Tyler, I'm from 'What's Hot' magazine. I spoke with your manager, Jack Harkness, today and he said you would be willing to do a few shots here at the party for our spread on young artists. He said it would be perfect since you would be all dressed up and camera ready. "

Rose furrowed her brow at him. It did sound like a comment Jack would make but she would have liked to hear it from him. She looked at her phone. She should call him, but he had gone with his "friend" and she didn't want to interrupt. 

"If you're concerned, I have already photographed several other of the young artists here, if you'd like to see the pictures. I'm legit, I promise." He then held up a bright yellow laminate stating that he was from "What's Hot", with a picture of him on it. 

"Fine" she sighed. 

"Oh good, there is a delightful place in the back garden that has wonderful flowers. I've set up my flash there. Please follow me."

"Wait, I need to tell my bodyguard. He just went to the loo. Actually, he may be a few minutes."

"Miss Tyler, I have four other people to shoot tonight. If you want to be in the article you have to go now, or I'll just move on."

She stalled for a moment, then with a sigh, followed. Hopefully he would be fast. 

Rose stood, and followed the man out. She glanced to where Koshi went, but there was no sign of him yet. 

The photographer led her through the mansion far away from the party. The music got quieter as they went. Finally though, he opened the door into a small courtyard that was indeed filled with flowers. It had open sides, but was covered on top. She could hear rain falling on it, but the yard wasn't wet. 

"OK, " Rose turned to him, "Where do you want me?"

He was frozen in place, his face expressionless. Then,"I want you right here." He didn't move at all. 

"Wha?" she started.

"I can't believe that I have Rose Tyler in front of me and she wants to know where I want her," he said, but it came out as more of a breath. 

Chills gripped her. He had her near the wall, he stood between her and the door back into the mansion. 

"What are you doing?" she demanded. 

"Taking pictures, like I said," he countered. He brought of his camera to his face and snapped a picture, the remote flash that was set up nearly blinding her. Then he proceeded to snap a succession of them while walking closer to her, backing her up against the wall. 

This was not good. She should have waited on Koshi. Now she was alone with this man. 

In one quick move, the man jumped ahead, pinning her to the wall. Rose was about to scream when she heard the distinctive sound of him inhaling. He was smelling her. With all her might, she pushed him away, a feat due to his size. "Get away from me!" she yelled. 

He was still snapping pictures. "Rose, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to meet you. It's been since your first video. You wore that pink crop top and all I could think of was having my hands under it, on our breasts. That thought made me want to be with you." 

Rose was struggling to get past him, both her heels and her dress making it difficult to make a hasty retreat. He was reaching for her now, his grubby, oily hands touching her upper arms. He was her height when she was in her shoes, and wasn't moving. 

Rose gathered all her strength, placed one foot back on the wall and shoved with all her might. He tumbled backwards, his hands pinching her arms and nearly pulling her over on top of him as he fell. But Hiss hands did slip off and he landed hard, sitting, on the ground in front of her. She took the second it would take him to get up and ran, as best she could. She kicked off her shoes at the door and burst into the house. She thought he was on her trail and could grab her at any second. She whirled around to see where he was but he had stopped. He was holding one of her shoes to his face and smiling. He looked up at her and started towards her, the shoe still at his nose. 

Rose nearly vomited on the spot. She ran past the dancefloor and feverishly looked around. She still couldn't see Koshi. She needed to get out of there. The bad dream she had had the previous night, coupled with her growing anxiety, crested into full-blown panic. She could no longer be there. 

She then ran to the front of the house and into a pouring rain. The attendants at the door called after her, but she had finally gained some speed and wasn't going to stop now. She saw a line of waiting vehicles and jumped into the first limo she saw. It wasn't hers. 

The driver looked back at her. "Ma'am, this isn't your car."

"I don't care," she cried, "I'll give you 500 pounds if you take me away from here, NOW!" The car started immediately and pulled away from the house. 

OoOoOo  
John was starting to dose off in his chair when a thunderclap awoke him. He groaned, took his glass and finished his whiskey, pouring another before he thought about it. The television was droning on about some diet supplement, the movie that he had been not watching long over. He stood slowly and started to pick up his trash, getting ready for bed. He had finished the soup and a little of the sandwich as well as two glasses of whiskey. The crisps sat unopened, he just didn't have the energy to open them.

He had his hands full, and dropped it in the bin when he heard Rose's door open and shut. He went to go look at is watch when he heard frantic knocks at the door separating their rooms. 

He flung it open to find Rose Tyler, soaking wet, eyes huge, and a terrified then relieved look on her face. She was visibly shaking, and before he knew it, flung her arms around him, wetting his t-shirt. His hands were still out, but he awkwardly rested them on her back. “What’s the matter?” he asked hurriedly. 

"I’m just glad you're here. “ She said into his chest. Then she stepped back, straightening herself. "Sorry," she said, trying to run her hands down her dress. 

His expression softened, and he rested a hand on her shoulder briefly, before dropping it to his side. "It's quite alright, now do you want to tell me what happened? Also where's Koshi?"

She looked to where his hand had been, then back to his face. "There was a photographer at the party, he scared me. I think he was a crazed fan. He said he was from a magazine. It sounded legit. But when he went to take me to do some pictures, he got creepy. He tried to grab me and I pushed him down and ran. Koshi was in the loo. I couldn't find him. I panicked, Then I took a limo here. It wasn't even mine. "

Just then John's phone rang. It was Koshi. John answered and Koshi was frantic on the other end. "Doctor! Rose is gone!

"I have her. But here, talk to her. There was someone there that was trying to take pictures of her. He tried to grab her." He handed the phone over and Rose gave a description to Koshi to look for the man, but they figured he was long gone. But Koshi agreed to stay and review tapes. John noticed he was unusually willing to go the extra mile, and John figured it was because he had lost Rose. He should have never even gone to the loo. That would mean she was out of his sight. 

When they were done and John rang off, Rose was still standing in front of him, shivering, her hair a matted mess, and her dress, that he imagined was incredible at one time, clung to her, but not in its intended manner. She clearly didn't know what to do. 

He settled his hand on her shoulder again. "Rose, why don't you take a hot shower and we can talk after. Just come get me. You're safe now. No one can get up here."

She nodded turning, causing his hand to fall from her. As she did he noticed little pools of rainwater that had dripped off the dress that were now on the carpet. 

John retreated into his room and back to the chair he had been in. He should have been cleaning up, but he was too mad. Koshi had one job. Now Rose was scared to death and might have been in danger. Seconds later Koshi texted. He had found the "photographer" and had gotten him. He was waiting for the police now. He had found him parked on the street near the house, having "personal time" with some of the pictures he had taken of Rose, he shoe was prominently displayed on the dash. Koshi took great pride in interrupting that. 

He set his phone on the table next to him and he heard shuffling. Rose had come in, she was now wearing a loose pair of sweatpants and an even bigger sweatshirt, that was slightly off the shoulder. Her hair was wet, but wet from the shower and no longer dripping. She eyed him, the food, and lastly the bottle of whiskey and partially full glass. Without a word, she reached out, picked up the glass and drained it, making a face after she did. Then she grabbed the bag of crisps, opened them, pulled up the other chair in the room and climbed into it, curling around so she was sitting on her feet. 

She stuffed a few crisps in her mouth, motioning then towards the whiskey. “Is this what you do when you're not watching me? Are you allowed to drink on the job?” 

He took the glass, made a frustrated face, and filled it again. “I’m not on the job until tomorrow.” He took a sip. 

She motioned for the glass and he shook his head. "I have a limited supply, and you can't have it if you're going to drain it."

"I'm not, that was just to wash away the bad taste in my mouth. I promise to be good."

He reluctantly handed over the glass and she took a small sip, handing it back. 

"So, what made you think this guy was legitimate? Oh Koshi got him, by the way. "

"He did? Good, where was he?"

"In his car a little down the street."

"Why was he still there?"

John looked her straight in the eye. "He was engaged in… activities. Koshi interrupted him.” 

Rose stopped with a crisp halfway to her mouth. "EWW! Omigod that's gross. What's wrong with him?”

"Any number of things. When you're famous, you aren't popular with only good people."

"I know, I'm not an idiot." She slumped a little further into the chair. 

"I never said you were. " He sipped on the glass.

"Do you think he was the one that has been doing... all those things?"

John shook his head. "No, he doesn't fit the profile. The person making threats and ... carrying them out is a calculating person with deep revenge seeking behavior. This guy was just a wacko."

Rose snorted out a laugh. 

"But you can be sure that he will be fully questioned and have his life dissected. If he has any connections, we'll know it. "

Rose took the glass and sipped. "You know what, I was thinking about leaving when he came up to me. The party was getting boring."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, taking the glass back. "I thought this was your scene? All the young, popular kids in one place? I'd a thought you'd eat that up."

Rose frowned at him. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm just out there partying all the time? You're wrong. Sure, I have fun, but I know when to work and when to play. I know what happens when you let the party take over. I mean, I've only been in it for a few years, but I can see who will be pulled under. I'm in it for the marathon, not the sprint."

He took another sip, regarding her. "So what gives you this perspective? How can you claim to have this outlook on such a new career?" He wasn't being a jerk, but Rose could tell he truly wanted an answer. 

She shifted and sat up more getting a far away look on her face. She thought for a few seconds before speaking. “It's because I know what it's like to have nothing, and I'm not willing to lose it all to be like that again." She stole the glass back and took a drink. She looked away for a moment, not sure if she was ready to tell him about her, but then she looked back, eyes determined. "When I was little I lived in the estates with my mum. We got by, but I really had nothing. But at the same time I had a lot. My mum gave everything to get me out there. I got discovered when I was at a talent show in grade 6. I wrote, played and sang my own song. I got some press and got to sing on a television ad. From there it was a blur of lessons, cameras, everything. I got pushed into dancing because of furthering my career. I was in an all girl band for a while, but I started to get popular as an individual. I switched to hip hop, and before I knew it, I was the next best thing. That's when You Tube was on top, and I got popular in the States. My first album was at 15 but it didn't get much circulation. We mixed a few things up, did a lot of local venues and malls, and tried again. I had music videos and a world tour at 20. Now I'm 25 and I don't see and end to it. But I love it. I mean I want something more, but hip hop sells the downloads. But I write a lot. I sell a lot to others. In fact, in the last 2 years, I've had 20 songs on the charts, not counting ones I’ve performed.” 

She paused, taking a long drink then handing him the near empty glass. “People get me wrong all the time. One day I’ll have the balls to do something about it. If you tell anyone this, I’ll deny it, but I’ve been working on a film score, anonymously. The director and I are the only ones who know it. But if I get my name on it, it will lose credibility. I’m not that kind of musician. “

John sat silently throughout her story, his expression one of astonishment. "I had you all wrong," he finally said, slowly shaking his head. 

"I know you did. Most people do. It's no big deal."

"It is. I'm sorry. You should also do what you want to do. This life is too short to not do what makes you happy."

"Says you, Mister cranky. What about you? What's your story? I can't imagine your life's aspirations were to babysit hip hop artists that are constantly trying to escape you. "

John smiled into the glass, finishing it. Then he refilled it with the last bit from the bottle. " My story isn't as grand as yours is. What do you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"I've just turned thirty five. I'm an old man by your standards, I'm sure."

"Hardly. How about your childhood? What led you here?"

"You don't want to hear all that."

She scoffed. "C'mon Mr.Smith, spill."

John raised his eyebrows at her using his proper name, which he thought she had long since forgotten. "I grew up pretty regular, my parents died when I was about 20. They died within a year of each other. But in school I didn't have much direction, so I enlisted at 18. I was in the Army, special forces. I had an injury and I got out. Since I was recovering, I took whatever jobs I could. I was 30. Koshi contacted me and convinced me to do security. After a while I got assigned to a job for a woman here in London. She was amazing, she was a singer, an actor, everything. She had a horrible ex who threatened her. He was a singer, or so he said, but mostly he was just trouble. When they broke up, he missed her money. He was into all kinds of trouble. Then, come to find out he was insane too. But I didn't know anything about all that. I just thought it was a nothing job. But he went crazy, and while she was on a red carpet for… I don’t remember what, he set up on a rooftop above us. He used a bullhorn to get our attention, I stepped in front of her and he shot her through me."

"Omigod, what happened to you?" She leaned forward. 

John didn't look at her, instead sipping on the last of the whiskey. He swallowed but didn't look up. "She died and I got a new shoulder. "

"Oh John, I'm sorry."

He nodded slowly. 

She bit her thumbnail and looked at him for a long moment. "The woman you were guarding, you fell in love with her, didn't you?"

He fidgeted in his chair. 

"Is that why you're so distant now?”

He ignored the question. "From there I had to redefine my job. So I did. Koshi and I moved to the states to work for one of our old commanding officers, Sarah Jane Smith. And here we are. “ 

"So you got shot and got a shoulder replacement, that’s the scar on your arm.”

He smiled and pulled up his t-shirt sleeve, turning slightly so she could see the scar. ”I’m part cyborg.”

Rose smiled back. “You should smile more, you’re good looking. You’re also funny when you’re drunk.” A slur had crept into her voice. 

John took one last sip and set down the glass, standing. "And you should go to bed, Rose. “ He leaned over and scooped her up into his arms. She let out a gleeful squeal. He carried her through the adjoining door and into her room, dropping her on her bed. He stood over her for a moment as she laughed. "Goodnight Rose, I'll see you in the morning."

She stopped laughing, a pout settling on her face. "Goodnight John..." she sounded like she was going to saying something else. "John?"

"Hmm?" he had made it back to the door. 

"In the club, well the second club you pulled me out of, I said I hated you. I don't."

"Ok-"

"But you said the feeling was mutual... Do you hate me?"

He paused for a moment, hand on the doorknob. "No Rose, now go to sleep."

Rose wasn't entirely convinced and went to question him again, but the door between the rooms was already closed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving right along! This is a shorter chapter, because the next one is mammoth. I'm loving hearing your predictions.

Early the next morning John went for a workout in the hotel gym. The guards were still posted in the hallways so he was fine to go. He wondered what the guys from last night had thought about her coming back soaked to the bone. 

After he got done, he showered and dressed, then went and severely dressed down Koshi for losing her and for missing that man. It was a rookie mistake, getting distracted. He shouldn't have eaten anything, he couldn't be caught with his pants down so to speak, and it was a mistake. 

It was nearly ten when John knocked on the door between his and Rose's rooms. He was mainly checking on her, but also giving her the itinerary for the day. The door was unlocked, and when she didn't answer, he knocked again. After a fill three minutes he slowly opened the door. "Rose?" he called. 

It wasn't until he had the door open that he heard the singing coming from the bedroom. "And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people maybe more, people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening..." she sang. 

Rose was on the floor, on a mat, doing yoga. She wore big headphones over her ears and was singing out as she exercised. To be correct, she was singing very well as she exercised. Stunned, he stood at her bedroom door not moving. He had heard others do that song, but it was never this sweet, but yet profound. He watched as she changed positions. She was very strong and very limber. She sang as she moved, and he watched her muscles flex and ripple. She was in fantastic shape. Suddenly he felt like he was invading her privacy and stepped back. His movement caught her eye and she turned her head to see him, squealed and fell over onto the mat. 

He barked out a laugh, as she ripped off her headphones. “You can’t sneak up on me like that,” she squeaked, but while smiling. 

He raised one eyebrow, smirk firmly in place on his face. “I came to give you today's itinerary. Your car comes at noon to take you to the dress rehearsal. Later this afternoon, possibly at three, the detectives are coming to interview you about last night. They have been in contact with Koshi. I have it all on paper should you need it. He held out the paper.

Rose stood up and took it from him and looked at it. "OK good, I will have time to come back and shower before I have to be there tonight. But, I hate talking to cops. Her eyes got a little wide. You'll be there, right?"

"Yes. I'll be here when they interview you but I can’t talk for you. And, I'll walk the carpet with you, out of sight, of course. 

She gave him an odd look then nodded. "Of course. "

"I'll come get you when the car arrives." He turned to leave. Then, over his shoulder he added, “You should sing more.” 

Rose looked up from the paper. “I sing all the time, it’s my job.” 

John turned to face her. "No, what you’re doing is not singing. That, just now, was singing. You should let your fans hear the real you, not some electronic version of you. I think-“

"What?” she cut in.

He blanched. He should have never engaged in a conversation like this and he instantly chastised himself. “I’m sorry, please text me if your plans change or you want to leave the room. Otherwise I will take you to the car when it arrives.” Then he disappeared through the door, closing it. 

Rose stared at closed door. What was that about? She so rarely saw what she thought was the true him and when she did he pulled it back so quickly it was gone before she knew it. Then he both literally and figuratively shut the door. 

One thing for sure, John was an enigma. Last night he had been more open than she had ever seen him, but then again, had been drinking. But his mask of professionalism was back on now. It slammed back into place just as she asked for clarification. 

People always gave her advice. Maybe because she was a solo artist, maybe because she was a young woman, but whatever the cause, it happened frequently. It was a fight she fought all the time, getting people to realize that she actually knew what she was doing. But from John it was different. He wasn’t trying to show that he knew more than her, he was just letting her know that he liked something she as doing. 

That thought brought her to the next one. She couldn't help but appreciate the little insight into him she had gotten. It was only the briefest of windows, but she liked what she saw, in more ways than one. She couldn’t help but see how attractive he was, even with their first meeting. Not exactly classically handsome like a movie star, but very good looking, and definitely different than the men she usually had around her. The differences mostly were that John was stronger, smarter and more in control. Something about that was very intriguing to her. The look she gave him after his comment on being unseen on the red carpet gave her pause. In that moment, she had a thought. That thought was that she wouldn't mind him being beside her, walking along, maybe holding her hand. She shook her head. He wasn't like that. Not to her anyway. 

But the guys she was around, the ones she was spotted with and made headlines with, were all just a flash in the pan, all sparkle and no substance. Frankly she was sick of it. She wanted a man that could be involved in an intelligent conversation. One with which there was give and take and exchanging ideas. One that liked her for who she was in the down time. 

She wondered if she would ever see that side of him again, the one that Koshi said she would probably not see, the one she only got a glimpse of the night before. But his comment about her singing more was interesting. She had been thinking about it. But it was hard to be the kind of artist she was and break out into another genre. The criticism would be harsh, and some had already failed trying the very same thing. She was doing well now, but couldn't help wonder if there was more. 

OoOoOo

On the other side of the door, John was thinking of Rose, but trying very hard not to. He went about doing work, taking care of details like always, but it was hard. A particular blonde person seemed to be creeping in more and more. It was getting harder to focus. 

OoOoOo  
John checked on Rose periodically throughout the day. They were in a guarded zone, with posted security so all he had to do was check with her. Each time he did, she was working on this or that. In the late morning, Bonnie came over and helped pack up the costume for the show and the dresses for before and after the performance. She would change out of her red carpet dress there, into her costume, then into another dress for the remainder of the show and after party. At noon the car arrived to take her to the dress rehearsal. Koshi, still in trouble, joined John to escort the girls to the car. But this time. When she was climbing in, Rose stopped. “John, can you ride in the back with us?”

John looked at her questioningly. "I need to be up front to plan for tonight, I have to get the lay of the land." Rose knew he already had all the details. She had seen all the plans in his room, but she nodded. "OK," she said dismissively, getting in. Koshi got in the back with her and Bonnie. 

Rose got settled in the car, but let Bonnie and Koshi chat. She could have sworn that she saw a little glimmer from John, but maybe she was wrong. Also, maybe he was just plain not interested. That was the sting. She wasn't used to people just not liking her. Ever since she had been little, people tried to be near her. She was aware that may have been her growing stardom, but she liked to think it was also her personality. 

OooOo

Rose's rehearsal lasted two hours. But for the first time, she saw John there. Oh, he had been all the other places, but now for some reason she was more tuned into him. When she was off the stage, he was always within arm's length. When she was on the stage, he was just out of sight. She was very aware of just how close he was when a stagehand hopped up on stage and ran towards her. John was by her immediately, only to find the man was running to a light that was malfunctioning. Crisis averted, John gave her a slight smile and disappeared again. 

For once in her life, Rose was not bothered by it though. Having him there made her calmer. The man took a bullet, literally, for a client. He knew what he was doing and she had no question he could keep her safe. It made her want to take a step closer to him though, as if proximity would take away any threat. 

After rehearsal John led them back to the car. The plan was to go back and get ready, shower, nap, eat, talk to the police and be ready for the red carpet. 

John was surprised to be met back at the hotel by the DI. He hadn’t expected him there until later. Rose was great at relaying details, so the interview went really fast. She was all business, not a bit the 25 year old girl. She laid out the events, in order, in a clear and concise manner. It was like she was reading from a page, but was not. She didn’t miss a thing. Even the DI was impressed. John had figured that there wasn't much to charge the guy with, maybe assault because Rose felt threatened. But as it was, he had been charged with stalking before, and there were other charges against him too. Rose seemed to relax a bit when she found out that they had enough to keep him. 

After that, John showered and was sitting down and reading about an hour before they had to dress when he heard a knock at Rose's door. He got up to check, and stuck his head through the mutual door into her room. Bonnie was giving money to someone, who was accompanied by one of the hallway guards. She had set two bags, most likely of food, on the floor next to her. Rose stood behind her. Seeing that it was a food delivery, John retreated again, thinking that he needed to order room service. 

He had just settled again when someone knocked on the door between their rooms. Before he got up, the door opened and Rose's head popped through. "I got food, there's plenty, want some?"

John raised an eyebrow, but got up and followed her. Bonnie pulled out the boxes from the bags. There were at least two different kinds of salads, some bread, and something in white cubes that he feared was tofu. 

He pointed to the salads. "Did you get a rabbit or something?"

Rose laughed. "No, but I figured it wasn’t the best idea to get chips if I have to squeeze into my dress in a little bit."

"Is any of this real food?" He asked watching them assemble their salads. 

"You don't have to eat, I just figured you may be hungry," Rose answered, adding more lettuce to hers. 

John watched the girls assemble their dinners and followed suit when they were done. Rose explained that there was indeed tofu, but also chicken in another box. There was quinoa too, all high in protein. He winced at his bowl. 

"C'mon, John. You have stared down the barrel of a gun, don't let healthy food scare you." She and Bonnie giggled. 

Rose then helped him pick out a good dressing before they all sat at the table. 

John wasn't willing to admit it, but the salad was actually very good. He ate while listening to the girls talk about how Rose wanted her hair that night and how to switch it to the hairdo that she needed for her number, then how to switch it back. 

"I never knew hair could be so complex," he said into this salad. 

Rose stopped. "Well I guess I could cut it all off like you to. Then I'd not have to worry, of course it would be frightfully boring."

"Are you calling me boring?" he asked, putting his hand on his chest in mock affront. 

"Yes definitely." Rose nodded. 

"I'm not boring, I'm efficient. I use the clipper on my hair twice a month."

"I bet you have a designated hair clipping day," Rose shot back, laughing.

"I do, it's the first and third Mondays," he confirmed. The girls burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, which only made them laugh harder. 

The girls were wiping away tears when John's mobile beeped. "It's Koshi," he said standing, then walked out. 

"Wow," Bonnie said, "he goes into work mode like someone is flipping a switch."

"That's how I know he's the best,” Rose answered simply. 

Bonnie nodded. "And also, I have to say, not hard on the eyes."

This time Rose nodded, but didn’t say anything, choosing at the moment to take a huge bite of salad.   
OoOoOoo  
John spent the next hour going over plans with Koshi and the security team. He could hear the girls getting ready in the next room, and found that his thoughts would flit to Rose when he heard a squeal or giggle. They had music pounding too, at one point Koshi looked up from his tablet. "I'm glad you have to share the door with that. I sounds like a sorority house." 

"They're just having a good time," John uttered, only half paying attention to his counterpart. 

Koshi waited a beat. "You mean that John Smith, grumpiest man alive, hater of all fun and childishness, and the winner of the National Low Tolerance Award, doesn't mind two teenagers whooping it up? Who are you and what have you done to John?"

This time John looked up at him and shrugged. "She's not as bad as I thought. She’s also not a teenager." 

Joshi tilted his head back and laughed. 

Between the songs and craziness, John also heard Jack arrive. He joined in the fun with the girls for a few minutes, then knocked and came into John's room to go over security and talk about the night before. 

Before he knew it, it was nearly time for the car to arrive to take them. He shooed everyone out and got dressed. He hated his tux. Well it wasn't this tux, this one was new. But they weren't comfortable to run in or to be in for any length of time. The new sleeker cuts made it difficult to carry his weapons too. He had to get the jackets to fit looser and it was hard to make them look good. When he added the ballistic vest he had to wear a jacket twice his usual size. It made it cost more to tailor it too. He could, and did from time to time, wear his weapon in his waistband in a special holder, but that had its own issues, especially if he had to sit for any length of time. All and all, dressing up was a pain. He finally decided on the waist band holster for the night, along with his more stylish jacket. 

He tied his bowtie, he insisted on the non-preformed ones, and went to go fetch Rose. He knocked on the door, and Rose called back "Come in John, I'm ready."

He opened the door and stepped in, not realizing that Rose was right by the door. His big stride made her collide with her. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed, John's hand reaching out to grab her. 

He held her there for a second, very close, then let go. Rose didn't move back much. "Wow," she said," you clean up nice." She took a few seconds to slowly look him up and down, not hiding what she was doing at all. 

John could feel every inch of her stare. She leaned in closer, brought up her arm and tapped on his ballistic vest. "When we first met, I thought you had a fluffy chest." 

He raised an eyebrow. 

"And," she continued," I suppose you are adequately armed?" She pointed to where his shoulder holster would have been, then to his left ankle. He didn't correct her. 

"I'm very well armed," he countered, appreciating that she didn't go to put a hand on his firearm. 

"And your little bleeding kit too?"

"Of course." 

She finally took a step back, so he could see her. Her eyes glimmered, and she looked like she was waiting for him to say something. Instead of the long look she gave him she got a quick onceover. She was wearing a floor length red dress. It plunged deeply in front but was fitted around the bodice and hips. Rhinestones were attached all over it, and it sparkled with her every movement. He was impressed, very impressed, but also not willing to go there. In fact it took an enormous amount of self-control to not whistle at her. She was gorgeous, and that dress made it even better if possible. But now was not the time. 

Instead of what she was expecting, John asked, "Are you ready to go then?"

Rose took a little breath, then looked down. "Yes," she answered simply. 

Koshi had since made his way in. He then stepped out again but John heard his voice in his earpiece. "Hey John? I think she was looking for you to complement her outfit. "

Oh, John knew exactly what was happening. He muttered, "Not what I'm here for," into his sleeve, out of earshot of the others.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving right along! Did you want some fluff? Whether you did or not, here it is!

Koshi sat in back and John in front for the ride over. Due to the formality of the event, John himself went and opened the door to the limo and extended his hand to Rose. She smiled her "Hollywood" smile at him as cameras flashed all around. He noticed that it was not the smile he saw often, and it certainly wasn't the smile he saw when she was being mischievous or playful, or even the one from when she was with her friends and just goofing around. Instantly he realized that he had a little list of her smiles, and what meant what. He forced that thought back as he helped her out. 

Rose stood, pulling gently on John's hand to get up, took a moment then began posing. It was all practiced moves. She glided over the carpet like she was born to do so. John, ever watchful, scanned the crowd, but found his eyes flitted to her a lot. Even when Jack joined her. He watched her interact with the press and pose for pictures on and off. But she held her smile throughout. 

Near the end of the carpet, John caught up to her. He knew where she was going and without thinking, gently brought his hand to the small of her back, while speaking in her ear, "This way Miss Tyler." He remembered right away that she didn't like to be guided this way, and he went to move his hand back down when he felt her lean in to his touch, then she turned to him, now wearing a warm smile. "Thank you, Mr. Smith." He couldn't help but crack a minuscule smile back, causing her to widen hers.

That night John noticed that he and Rose turned a corner, but he didn't know if it was good or bad. Rose was very attentive to him, turning to look for him periodically if he wasn't right next to her. He had seen her check for him periodically throughout the day, and he had wondered about it, but now he was sure. That little change made him more confident. That meant that, for whatever reason, she wasn’t as prone to running away. It kept her close and easier to guard, but also just closer. That wasn’t all that bad either. 

After Rose’s arrival, she had to go back immediately and change into her performing clothes. He waited for her outside the dressing room, and she came out with blur of dancers, all ready for the stage, again she looked back to see if he was there. This time he gave her a reassuring smile. 

Her performance was great, garnering huge applause. She was so energetic and spot on with choreography and voice. It was actually fun to watch, though he didn’t get to see all of it, what with watching everything else. He even could have sworn that on stage she glanced into the wings to see him, but he might have misinterpreted it. 

Her wardrobe change after the performance was also a quick one. She was hustled into the dressing room in order to be ready and changed to present an award. She and Bonnie went in, but when he was outside the door, he could hear cursing. The door popped open and he spun around. "We need you!" Bonnie said, out of breath. John stepped in quickly, wondering what kind of trouble it was when he was met by the almost completely bare back of Rose Tyler. All she wore was a pair of sheer panties and the rest was pooled aroung her lower legs. John paused. In all his years in combat and guarding people, he hadn't been prepared for this. Rose was beautiful. Her flawless skin shone with a light sheen of sweat, but her body was incredibly toned and well proportioned. Her shoulders were muscular but not bulky, her hips the perfect width, leading to perfect legs. She held up her dress to the front of her, not turning to look at him.

Bonnie broke him from his spell. "We need your help, John. I can't get the dress on her, we didn't account for perspiration." 

John frowned, dress donning was definitely not in his skill set. He thought for a beat. "Powder?" he asked, making Bonnie skitter across the room to the cabinet. She opened it and triumphantly produced a bottle of baby powder. "AHA!" she exclaimed. 

John stepped up behind Rose, grasping the two sides of the back of the dress. "OK, Rose, let go and Bonnie, dump it in wherever you can. Rose brought her arms down and Bonnie did as she was told. She worked quickly, but as John stood there, holding up the dress in the back, he started to get very nervous. And sure enough, when Bonnie got to Rose's front, John got an over the shoulder, but very good view of Rose's breasts. He bit his lip to be sure he didn't make a noise. Neither of the girls seemed to notice, but Rose hadn't actually said a word since he came in. 

Next Rose wiggled and John brought the back together, working the zip. He put his finger inside the zip so it didn't catch her skin while he held it. But, as it neared the top, his finger grazed her skin for the last few inches. Under his touch, she got goose flesh and he almost stopped, but he was almost there. When he got it to the top, he let go and stepped back. "Ok, all done." He stepped back farther, hearing Rose sigh as she turned to face him. She looked up at him, a blush covering her cheeks. "OK, how do I look?"

Koshi's words came back to him. He decided to punt. "You look great, ready to go?" he asked noncommittally. Her face immediately dropped, but she nodded. 

"Thank you for helping," she said quietly. 

"No problem," he said, opening the door to the backstage. 

The rest of the night went off without a hitch. He saw to it that Rose made it to her seat in the audience and took up his post close to her, but against the wall, just watching. Periodically he could feel the weight of her stare, but when he would move his eyes to her, she would look away. Once though, he caught her and she smiled shyly before turning her head back to the stage. That moment, that little second of interaction, made his heart skip a beat. He knew it shouldn’t though, and spent the next few minutes chastising himself. He was working for goodness sake. 

Mercifully the show ended and he was able to get everyone, including Bonnie, to the car. 

The party was a few miles from the venue and as usual, he rode up front. He came around again to help her out, but this time it was different. She peered around the door and looked out before extending her hand to be helped out. There were a collection of photographers, but more disorganized, not like the red carpet where they were contained. This was at a ballroom of a glamorous hotel and was not set up to keep people at bay. Knowing that Jack and Bonnie would follow, he started with Rose, only to notice a slowing in her gait, even as he led her gently. 

He glanced at her. Her eyes were flitting all over the place as they advanced, to the photographers, to others that were standing about and all over the place. She fell a little behind him, causing him, still with his hand on the small of her back, to turn to her. Then it occurred to him. The party, the fright from the night before. She was wondering if someone had bad intentions. 

Instinctively he quirked a small but warm smile. "I've got you," he said so only she could hear, and removed his hand from her back but extended an arm for her to take. 

"Thank you," she uttered, grabbing hold with one arm. 

"My pleasure," he retorted. 

Tactically this wasn't the best posture for him to take. He needed his hands free. But for Rose, it was perfect. This is what she needed. He also knew Koshi was behind him and would back him up. 

Rose clung to him for the rest of the walk. Once inside, Rose relaxed considerably. Unlike the party the night before, this one had a lot more people she knew, and people that had known her for a long time. John felt her hand on his arm loosen a few times before she let go. He looked at her and she smiled. "I'm going to go with Jack," she said simply. She went to Jack, who was already seated at a table and was motioning her over. 

As he watched her walk away and took up his position to watch everything, he felt the loss of her on his arm. 

OoOoOo

Rose Tyler was having a hard time. For someone who usually knew exactly what she was doing all the time, she didn't know at all what to do. One thing she did now is that she couldn't get John Smith out of her mind and didn't know why. 

There was something about him that made her focus on him even with all the events of the evening. Her mother may have called it puppy love or a crush, but that wasn't it. But she was drawn to him. He wasn't at all the kind of man that was usually around her. He was strong, confident and cared very little about what he looked like or who was watching. He had no interest in social media or how many likes or followers he had. He was there to do a job, and he did it. No drama, no agenda, just a job that he was good at and did. He also assured her she would be safe. That was what made him stand out to her. He was not climbing a ladder to success, he was doing what he was good at. It was calming and stable. It was unlike anything she was used to. 

The night before, when they had sat together, had opened her eyes to a little sliver of who John was under the armor he wore physically and mentally. She hadn't slept well that night. She knew that she was guarded, John was next door and there were guards in the hall, but still her mind spun. She dreamt restless dreams about someone stalking her as she walked down the street alone, someone in the shadows, calling to her in whispers. Early that morning she woke. She decided to start yoga and sing, the things she did to refocus herself. She had just started to calm when she was startled by John. 

Singing like she had been that morning was something she did for herself, but had frequently wondered if there was a way for her to do it professionally. Sure she sang, but this was from the heart, with no pounding beats under it. Then he said she should sing more. She had wanted him to finish his thought, but he couldn't, or didn't want to. Even though he wasn't in the field, she found herself valuing his opinion. She would have loved to hear it. 

She had ordered too much food with Bonnie on purpose, hoping that he would eat with them. She was itching to see a little bit more of his personality, but had been shut down. He didn't even react normally to her when she came so close to her. He had also thought that she didn't hear what he said to Koshi about the interaction. She did. 

The situation with the dress during the ceremony had been a fluke, but she had expected something, but got nothing. She knew he was working and couldn’t expect anything, but she had hoped for something. She found both frustration and admiration in that. 

But as she rode to the party, Jack and Bonnie twittering on about something she had no interest in, her anxiety was rising. Just the night before she had been in danger. She had no way of knowing what that man might have tried or done, and as they got closer, it had come flashing back. The crowd outside the hotel made her take a hard swallow. But when the door opened, John was there, his face the definition of confidence. As she walked, he read her fears and offered his arm. It felt like she was offering the cure. She took it gratefully, only to have him tell her it was his pleasure. Oh no, it was hers. 

His confidence had bled into her as they went. When they were inside, in the light, surrounded by the people she knew, many from her early years, she felt better. When Jack had motioned her to join them, she was ready, and John had let her go. Even though she wasn't scared anymore, she missed his touch.

Unlike the last party, this one was fun. Instead of being a place for the best and brightest, it was a party thrown by one of the best known producers in London. He had many, many friends, including people who had been there since the beginning of her career. They talked, ate, and had a great time. Throughout, Rose kept an eye out for John. On occasion she found him looking at her, but usually he was watching the room. He cut his eyes to her regularly then off again. After eating, she stood and he was at her side instantly. 

"I need the loo," she said. Bonnie got up too to help. John led her to the bathroom, his hand finding its place on her back. When she finished and came out, John was there. "Are you doing OK John?" she asked.

He looked back at her puzzled. No one ever asked if the body guards were alright. "Yes Miss Tyler, I'm good."

"Do you guys get to eat?"

"No, ma'am. Now let's get you back to your seat." He didn't allow for any other conversation, but led her back to her place. She gave him an odd look, clearly waiting for more from him, but shook it off lightly when he pulled out her chair. 

The party went into the night, champagne being delivered as well as an open bar. Rose behaved herself though, sipping champagne here and there. She danced with friends and Jack, even the slow songs. 

Once John caught himself staring as they played Lifehouse's "You and Me" and Rose was swaying on the dancefloor with a young man from one boy band or another. He found himself swallowing hard and looking away. The song ended and he felt someone touch his arm. It was Rose. Had he been so involved that he didn't notice her coming over? 

"John, I need to get water," she said taking his arm. So far in the night she had been up and down several times, each time checking in with him, but never like this.

"Growing tired miss Tyler?" he asked. She felt heavy on his arm.

"I guess so."

"Shall I summon your limo?" he asked, heading with her to the bar for water.

"I don't think Jack and Bonnie are ready to go," she answered, nodding her thanks to the bartender then smiling when John reached into this pocket and stuffed a few bills into the tip jar on the bar. 

"Jack isn’t in charge. If you want to leave, I can facilitate that. They're both grownups. So shall I get your limo?"

"Yes," she said quietly. 

John delivered her back to her table and called the car. 

Rose got up and spoke briefly with both Jack and Bonnie, both confirming that they wanted to stay. Jack had found a friend, and Bonnie was being talked up by the same boy band member Rose had danced with earlier. 

When Rose indicated that she was ready, John escorted her out. She took his arm again, squeezing it tighter when they got outside and again faced the press. As soon as they were out, John felt that a light rain falling. He looked around for someone with an umbrella, but there was no one. He cursed quietly but Rose didn’t seem to notice. He led her through the photographers to where little que of people waited for the cars to be pull up. He noticed with annoyance that he hadn’t thought to procure her an umbrella like the others had, but also there was nowhere to wait that was both under cover and away from the press. 

Rose shivered next to him. Without a thought, John brushed her hand off his arm and she stepped back, a little stunned, but then saw that he was removing his jacket and resting it on her head and shoulders. 

Rose looked at him from under the jacket. Surprisingly, she saw no shoulder holster, just the outline of his ballistic vest under his now wet shirt. She didn't get a chance to say anything because he hustled her to the kerb. Cameras flashed like crazy when he did that, but he didn't care. Rose was warm and out of the rain and that was all that mattered. 

The car made it to the front a minute later and he opened the door for her, she took hold of his hand getting in, but didn't let go. "Sit back here with me?" she asked. 

John had intended to sit in the front, but her sad brown eyes tugged him by the heart into the back with her. 

He climbed in quickly, as it had begun to rain harder. He landed in the seat, then crawled up to the little window to direct the driver back to the hotel. Then he turned back and ran his hands over his hair, shaking off the rain. 

Rose eyed him, still wearing his jacket, while holding a bottle of champagne that she had plucked from an ice bucket next to her. "Would you like a glass?" she asked, preparing to pop the cork. 

"No thank you," he answered, "I'm working." He pulled his wet shirt from his vest and fanned it a little, but then realized it was no use. 

She frowned a little, but nodded, setting the bottle back down. 

John took a long breath, settling back down and wiping his face with his hand.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Yes, very. It's been a long day."

She laughed quietly, "Yeah a long day of watching and wondering if anyone is going to kidnap or kill me. It's got to be exhausting. Have you even eaten since the salad?"

He smiled at her and fished into his pants pocket, bringing out a protein bar and shaking it a little. "Little rectangles of nutrition, keeping body guards alive for as long as I can remember."

She laughed out loud, smiling hugely. “I guess Koshi needs to learn that trick.”

“I’ve tried to teach him, but he’s dumb.” This made him crack a smile. 

She turned and looked him up and down, taking him in. "I have a question," she started.

"Shoot."

"Why am I Miss Tyler in public? I told you that you can call me Rose."

He cleared his throat and sat up. "Well it's a professional thing. When I'm working with you and in the public eye, it's good to have that air. I suppose detachment helps with observation. "

"Hmmm, next question."

“OK... I wasn't expecting twenty questions."

"I have your attention, I'm going to use it. OK, where is your gun?"

John raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh don't be coy, you have a shoulder holster. But when you took off your jacket, you weren't wearing it."

"Oh, slim fitting jackets don't lend themselves to firearms." He sat forward and turned his back to her. "I have a special holster that goes into my waistband." He pointed to the gun without pulling it out. “And I always have one on my ankle.”

"Have you ever shot someone?"

"I was in the Army. Next question."

She fidgeted. "Oh, sorry, I know that you're never allowed to ask a military person that. But I mean in this job."

"No. I really am not a fan of guns. "

"You were in the Army," she deadpanned with a smirk.

"Not to shoot people. It was a job, a means to an end. I did what I have to do, but only that. In this job I only have it to protect you. That's the only reason I would shoot. "

"What about for your own safety?"

"I'm only here for you. If you are safe, my job is done. Next question."

She smiled mischievously. "Do you want chips?"

Again he eyed her. "Everything's closed."

"Not everything."

Minutes later she directed the driver to a 24 hour fast food restaurant. He got the food and climbed back into the limo with her. "You're a terrible influence on me," he said, handing over her bag of chips while she "oohed" at them. 

She popped one in her mouth. "Yes I am. I'm also learning about you. You are more talkative when you are drunk or tired. Other than that, you're like trying to get blood from a rock." 

He didn't say anything, just put a chip in his mouth. 

Then he piped up, "Tomorrow we are going to your Mum's in the morning and then to the community center to dedicate the new auditorium."

"Yes." she nods. 

"What time do you want to go over to your Mum's?"

"Um about ten. She's not an early riser. Can she come with us to the community center?"

"Of course."

They arrived at the hotel shortly thereafter. He guided her up to the room, checked it out, and then let her in, waving to the hall guards. 

Once she got in, she handed his jacket back. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He opened the door to his room. "Goodnight, Rose," he said over his shoulder. 

"John?" 

"Yes?" he turned to her, his weariness finally showing in his posture.

In that moment, John looked his age. He looked tired, face drawn. That took her aback a little, but she buried it. She saw in that moment what it took to keep her safe. He was exhausted. "Um, tomorrow, do you have to wear a suit? I mean I don't want the scary security guy to make the kids uncomfortable. Do you have, like, a jumper or something?"

He cracked a smile that didn't touch his tired eyes. "Yes, I have a jumper. I'll see you in the morning." With that he closed the door between them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, it seems that someone is changing in someone else's eyes... Hmmmmm.

In the morning, John got up early, checked with the hallway guards, then went down for a workout. He heard Rose stirring, but didn't need to interface until it was time to go. She had her things to do, work things, and he would just be bothering. But for some reason he wanted to bother her. When he had gotten back in that night he took the jacket she had been wearing and hung it up. In doing so, he came close to it, noticing her scent wafting off its collar. He found himself smiling but not knowing exactly why. He resisted the urge to put on the jacket just to be wrapped in her smell. He shook his head and headed to bed. Nope, not a good idea. He wasn't going there, not again. 

OoOoOo

On the other side of the door, Rose was trying to decide whether to bother John. She was bored, really had nothing to do, but wanted to spend time with him. Over the past few days she had ne re-examining her feelings. She wondered if she was wanting to spend time with him for any reason other than he made her feel safe. Growing up in the estates, her mother did her best to shield Rose from harm and bad influences, but she could only go so far. Rose still had to walk home from school and such, she still had issues. Then once when she was ten, a bunch of older girls beat her up and took her lunch and bookbag. Her mother had just bought that bookbag and Rose had been immensely proud of it. Having something that her mother had worked hard for taken was quite a blow. Even when Jackie went to the girls flat and demanded the bag be given back, Rose was careful not to use it again. Feeling safe was not something that was common at the estates, and no matter how her mother was able to shield her, she still craved security, whether it was financial or physical. 

Being around John brought that. He didn't have to even speak, and she felt better. She didn't have to worry about money or food anymore, but now someone, or more than one person, wanted to hurt her. John was determined not to let that happen. The night before had proven that. He read her anxiety and did exactly what she needed to calm down. It was the perfect thing at the perfect time and she appreciated it. Then without her asking, he had put his jacket on her. That honestly was the best moment of the night. It was warm first off, but also smelled incredible. She hadn't wanted to give it back, ever. 

She hovered by the door separating their spaces several times. She heard him making phone calls and showering and various other things. She couldn’t help it, she just wanted him near. 

Finally she just dressed and scrolled through Instagram. She was nearly startled to death when he rapped on the door. Then she nearly died again after opening it and laying eyes on him. Her eyes first met his, but then she looked down to see that he was wearing a soft royal blue jumper and black jeans. Yes jeans. He still wore is usual boots, but on top of it all he wore a black leather jacket. She stared openly at him. 

"What?" he asked, looking down at himself.

"I've never see you casually dressed before," she replied, a little breathless. 

"You've seen me in workout gear before," he countered. 

"But never jeans. "

"Are they not OK? I thought you didn't want me in a suit."

"No, it's perfect. Out of curiosity, is your vest on?"

"Why are you so fixated on my ballistic vest?"

"I find it fascinating. It's like armor."

"It is armor."

She got close again, not getting the answer she wanted and lightly smacked a hand on his chest, confirming he was wearing it. 

He made no move away with her closeness. "Well Rose, are you ready to go? We don't want your mother to wait. And also, Jack will meet us at the school."

“I’m ready if you are.”

“I’m always ready,” he said with a smile. 

She rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, that’s rich.”

OoOoOo

Since that say was to be pretty informal, John procured an SUV to take them. No one knew about their plans for the day. Even the head of the community center had told his staff and the children that he would be dedicating the auditorium. John just had Rose sit in the back seat of the car, behind the tinted windows, so he just looked alone in the car. Lastly, he had her “tweet” something about heading home to the USA, just to be sure. 

The ride to her mother’s didn’t take long. Rose was on the phone most of the time after she had given him the directions. Soon enough, he was pulling into the drive of a stately home. It was two stories, sitting on a large manicured lot with perfectly shaped trees. The house itself looked freshly painted, and well, huge. He wondered to himself if anyone lived wither mother. 

Rose chuckled from the back. “You can ask what you want.”

Without hesitation, he did. “Does she live here alone? This place is a mansion!” 

She laughed. “My mum spent most of my life in a cramped flat on the estates. When I made it big, I let her have anything she wanted. I mean, when I’m here, and not being threatened, I live here too. But she has a very active social life. There are always people over, parties and such. She’s not lonely. Also from time to time she’ll have one bloke or another move in for a while.”

“You’re OK with that?”

“I mean, I guess, it’s her house. I’m gone most of the time, so I’m good with whatever.”

“No one told me of anyone being there today.” John’s tone went back to business. 

“Nope, it’s just us. But any friends she has have all been cleared, they were on the original list.”

He pulled the SUV in front of the house and shifted it to park. “OK, I thought that was the case.”

John was starting to get out and open her door when the front door to the house swung open and a platinum blonde woman, hair perfectly sculpted, with manicured bright red fingernails and a pink track suit on came bolting out. “There’s my girl!" She shrieked, hustling out and enveloping her daughter in a tight hug. 

Rose hugged her mother back tightly as John came along the side of the vehicle. 

“Who’s this hunk of a man then?” asked Jackie, letting go of Rose and sizing him up.

“Mum, this is my bodyguard, John Smith. John, this is my mum, Jackie.”

John reached out his hand. “Ms. Tyler.”

“Oh, call me Jackie, dear.” She shook his hand and turned back to Rose. “They certainly gave you a specimen this time, didn’t they?”

“Mum!” Rose whined. 

John just smiled and gestured to the front door, and both women went in. 

The interior of the house was gorgeous. It was exquisitely decorated from the curtains throw pillows to the carpet. It looked like it was from the pages of a decorating magazine. As Jackie walked ahead, John leaned to Rose. “This place is incredible. Where am I allowed to sit?”

Rose giggled. “Anywhere. It may look fancy, and Mum has a lot of parties and such, but you can sit on anything. We’re not a fancy people. I just had a decorator come in a few weeks ago after Mum ran out of ideas. It’s OK.”

He gave her a look. “Well, OK then, I’ll have a seat in the living room. I’ll come for you when it’s time to go. “

“You can stay with us, Mum doesn’t bite.”

He smiled at her kindly. “I’m good, I have some work to do. “ 

“Ok then,” she said with a little pout. He raised his eyebrows at her and turned for the living room. She saw him approach an overstuffed chair, look at it for a moment, look around, then finally sit, like he was trying to see if he was indeed allowed to sit there. When no alarms went off, he seemed to settle in. 

Rose shook her head and went into the kitchen.

OoOoO  
Rose stopped short as she joined her mother. “What’s all this?” she asked. 

The central island of the kitchen was covered in bowls of different colors, all with pre-portioned foods, including cubed chicken, celery, scallions and a few spices around. It was all artfully laid out. 

Jackie smiled. “It’s for my Instagram. I’ve started something called “Jackie’s Snackies”. It’s all about food and stuff. But since you have such a big following, and with you reposting my stuff, people started following me. I guess to get a look at you or whatever. So I decided to put this together, you know, share recipes and stuff. It’s getting really popular.” 

“Are you kidding? You don’t cook,” Rose said, incredulously. 

Jackie crossed her arms in front of her. “Well I do now. Since you are never here anymore, I took a cooking class. I learned a lot.”

“And you feel like you need to share this with the world?”

“You never know what it may lead to. Oh! It’s time!”

Rose eyed her mother suspiciously. “Time for what?”

“I promised to go live today with you here. How can you not know any of this? Do you not follow me?”

“Mum, I’m too busy. Honestly, I sent Jack about five pictures a week and he posts them with cute comment on Insta. I barely even use Twitter anymore.“

“Well,” Jackie said, picking up her phone, ”you’re about to be live with ‘Jackie’s Snackies’ so be ready.”

With that she hit something on the screen of her phone. “Hello world! It’s time again for ‘Jackie’s Snackies’! Today we will explore my favorite chicken salad recipe. It was handed down from my mother to me and I love it. And today I will share it with you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone the recipe!” She laughed at her own joke and Rose rolled her eyes. But it was cute. Jackie had given her everything she could, and it was good to see her now reaping the benefits. 

“And today we have a special guest! Can you guess who it is? All the way from Los Angeles, home for the day, my daughter Rose Tyler!” 

She turned the camera to Rose, who gave a little wave. “Hi.”

“Rose dear, what do you like the best about you grandma’s chicken salad?”

Rose balked. She had never had chicken salad in her life that she recalled, certainly nothing from a family recipe. Jackie was looking at her expectantly. “Um, I love how creamy it is,” she guessed, trying not to have her statement sound like a question, which it really was. 

Jackie took that and ran with it. She then talked about all the ingredients and hints to make each work the best. Rose was stunned. She had never seen anything like this in her life. Jackie was in her element, talking to an imaginary audience. But it wasn’t imaginary. She would stop from time to time and say things like,”Hello Janet from Chicago!” or “Yes I use organic dill.” Rose wondered if the second statement was true. But Jackie was having a ball, so she went with it. 

Before too long, Rose was totally into the whole thing. She added things, told a couple of little stories, and the fans seemed to eat it up. It was really fun. 

When the salad was done, Jackie looked at Rose. “OK, now we need an impartial judge. Where’s that hunk of a bodyguard of yours?” she was putting some of the salad in a bowl and arranging crackers around it. 

Without thinking, Rose answered, “In the living room.” 

“Well, let’s go see what he thinks!” Jackie was off, with Rose trailing behind her. 

John looked up from his phone when they came in, and went a little pale. 

“OK everyone, this is Rose’s bodyguard, John. Isn’t he something?” She turned the phone to show him. 

His face went from shocked to stone. Behind Jackie, Rose mouthed. “I’m sorry.” He gave her a look like “Yeah, you’re going to be.”

Jackie held out the bowl with cracker to him. “Try this John, see if you like it. My followers want to know.”

John tentatively took the bowl, and scooped up some salad and took a small bite. “It’s good,” he said after a moment.

Jackie turned back the camera. “See that? Even the bodyguard likes it. So comment what you think! I’ll see you all soon on “Jackie’s Snackies!” She ended the feed. 

Nervously, Rose turned her eyes to John as Jackie went back into the kitchen. 

“That was-“ he started. 

“I’m so sorry,” she gushed,” it happened before I knew it.”

John read her face and got up. “I’m not supposed to be recorded, really.”

“Am I in trouble?” she asked. 

He shook his head.“Nah.”

Rose relaxed. “My mum just gets excited.”

“So I gather. It’s no big deal. But I’d rather no one know where you are in real time. “

“I never thought about that. I guess I’m not that good at this stuff.”

“I should have told you no live stuff. I think we’re OK for now.”

“Rose! John! Come eat!” Jackie called from the kitchen.

John hung back, and Rose grabbed his arm. “Nope, you’re eating with us. My mum is a force of nature and there is no saying no. You have no choice in the matter.”

John nodded and followed willingly, if not a little scared, into the kitchen. 

OoOoO

Lunch ended up being rather pleasant. John relaxed a little, which made Rose happy. He said little, but laughed when Jackie told cute stories about her as a little girl. 

When lunch was over, Jackie trounced off to “get ready”, but John couldn’t think about what possibly she could do, save change her track suit. 

But he got up and gathered dishes, only to find Rose next to him, starting to run water in the sink. 

“What? I know how to do dishes,” she said. 

“I have never, ever, seen you do anything in the kitchen other than take things out of the fridge and heat them up. Even then the instructions are on the carton,” he countered.

Rose looked at the building bubbles in the sink, then with a smile, flicked them at him. “That’s by choice! I can do a whole lot more than you think. You only see the stuff on the surface. I am a whole lot deeper than you think.”

John wiped the bubbles from his sleeve. He had taken off his jacket when he sat in the living room. “I guess I’ll just have to see it to believe it.” 

“You will,” she said and went back to the bowl she was washing. Then she slowly turned to him, a grin on her face. She was quick, she raised a full hand of bubbles at him, intending to hit him in the face with it, but he caught it and wrestled it back. 

“No fair!” she yelled, still struggling, “you’re too fast!”

He grinned manically, “Ninja reflexes.” He slowly bent her hand back down towards that water. When he got there, he wiped the bubbles off her hand and then flicked some suds on her. 

Rose laughed out loud. 

“What are you two doing?” Jackie said from behind them.

As quick as anything, John let go of Rose and dropped his hands to his sides. 

“Nothing,” Rose said. 

“I swear, you are both acting like children. Now it’s time to go isn’t it?”

John checked his watch. It was time to go. He normally was in charge of all things like that and keeping her punctual was part of his job. He chastised himself for getting carried away, hung up the towel and went to get the car.

Rose deflated. 

“What’s wrong?”Jackie asked. 

“I don’t know.”

“You fancy him, don’t you?”

“Who John? No…” Her mom looked at her suspiciously. Even Rose wasn’t convinced with her own statement.   
OoOoOo

As John drove them, Jackie and Rose chatted. It sounded more like gossip to John, and he mostly tuned it out. But he did have a question. “Rose? Why are you going to the dedication of an auditorium at a community center?” he asked.

Rose didn’t answer right away. She looked at her mother then back to John in the rearview mirror. “I spent a lot of time there as a kid. That’s where I took my first dance lessons. I wanted to give back.”

“Wait, you bought them a new auditorium?” he asked, flabbergasted.

She paused again. “Well they didn’t have a stage really, just a little area. And they wanted to start a community theater, but didn’t have the means.”

“So you bought them one.”

“Yes.”

His eyes widened in the mirror.“Wow.”

She didn’t answer, just looked at her mum. 

John spoke first. “That’s pretty impressive, also very nice. Everyone wishes they could give back to someone that helped them, and you are. That’s-that's great.”

She met his eyes in the mirror. “Thank you,” she said, cutting her eyes away, then she struck up a conversation with her mother. 

John again glanced back into the back seat. Rose was now deep into a conversation about how “Trudy” from the estates was acting all high and mighty because her son got into law school, when Jackie had a daughter that was an international superstar. But with her distracted, he had a few seconds to appraise her. She looked so young. Like a kid really, but he had no doubt that she had spent millions to buy this auditorium. He was having difficulty metabolizing it. How could she be so childish and yet not?

About fifteen minutes later, John steered the SUV carrying Rose and her mother into the car park of the “Brightside Community Center.” He took a breath. “Oh no.”

“What?” asked Rose, then she saw it. “Oh no.” she repeated.

The car park was flooded with people. It looked like there were a lot of children, maybe with their parents and leaders, but also, and more annoying, a lot of press. 

John pulled into a space that was reserved for them and turned to her. “I thought Jack said this was going to be low key. I did not get nearly enough security for this. I need to call backup. Stay in the car.”

Rose reached up and put her hand on his shoulder. “John, wait. Just see that there is no press inside. I know this place. These are good people. They are just a little excited. It’ll be OK.”

Before John could answer, Jack was at Rose’s door. He looked a little out of breath. Rose opened the door for him, and he stepped close. “I guess word got out. But they are not letting anyone in who is not a member, so no press will come in. The craziness will only be outside. I think if we move you in quickly we should be OK.”

John quickly got out his phone and made a call to Gallifrey dispatch to get a few more people on scene. He then hooked a radio on his belt and slid in an earpiece. He wanted to stay put until backup go there. But seeing the look on Rose's face he knew that he had to go with her now, so he got out and took his place by Rose’s side. A man appeared, and stuck out his hand to her. 

“Nice to see you again Miss Tyler. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Hello Joe, this is my mum, Jackie and my manager Jack.” She turned to Jackie and Jack. “This is Joe Misner, he is the head of the community center and the one I’ve been working with on this. “ Jackie and Jack shook his hand before Joe turned.

“Are you ready Miss Tyler? First we’ll tour the auditorium and then the kids have some things to show you.”

Joe started in, and to John’s surprise, the crowd parted easily. Even the photographers stayed clear. 

They were easily able to walk in, but even though the way was clear, it certainly wasn’t quiet. The children along the way screamed her name and waved. 

Rose wasn’t phased at all. She paused briefly for pictures with kids, while all the while keeping forward momentum. She shook little hands, said kind words, and was generally amazing. John just stayed slightly behind her, ready for anything, but he ended up being more of a shadow. Rose conducted herself much different than she had on the red carpet, instead being charming and warm rather than posing for the cameras. 

They made it inside without incident and were led to the auditorium. 

The sign over the doorway was “TYLER AUDITORIUM”. And Jackie stopped them to take a selfie, Saying something about tagging Trudy in the post she was about to make, much to Rose’s embarrassment. 

But John could see something in her smile. Maybe a new smile that he hadn’t seen before. She was very proud, and it showed. 

The building that Joe explained was an add on to existing facilities, now sat 550 people, with a full stage equipped with rigging for lights and the ability to lift and lower curtains. It struck John as a similar facility to one at a secondary school. It was very nice though. 

They watched as the stage hands showed how the lighting rigs were set up and how they raised and lowered them. They were shown the lighting and sound booth, as well as the green rooms and areas where the sets could be built and costumes would be stored. 

Rose smiled and commented along the way, and could tell the Joe was nearly bursting with pride. 

Finally, John could tell that the seats were filling with boisterous children and their parents. Rose stayed backstage with John, and Jackie and Jack went to sit in a little roped off section in the audience. 

Joe got up first. “Hello and welcome to the new Tyler Auditorium!” There were all kinds of cheers. “Today we dedicate this auditorium, but as you all know, we have been working to move in for months. But no one has been on this stage to officially perform yet, that will change today. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce someone who you all already know, as well as thank her, Miss Rose Tyler!”

The crowd erupted as Rose took the stage, waving. 

Joe continued, “So Miss Tyler will be taking questions after, but first, let’s get started! Miss Tyler, will you declare us open?”

Rose nodded enthusiastically, taking the microphone from Joe. “Yes, Um, well, I guess I declare Tyler Auditorium open for performances!” 

The crowd went wild again as Rose blushed, and ducked off stage, approaching John. 

He started to lead her into the house to have a seat, when he looked down at her, to see her still blushing. 

He smiled at her. “I’m not sure I've ever seen you self conscious like this before.” 

“It’s a lot of people and a lot of attention. “

John stopped, and looked at her incredulously. “That is literally your job, screaming crowds, all focused on you.”

“But this is different. C’mon, I don’t want to miss the performances.”

John wanted to say that they would absolutely hold it all for her to sit, but he didn’t. This was a totally new Rose in front of him. One that was being really humble. Without another word, he led her to her seat. As he led her to her seat, John heard a crackle of his radio in his ear. Backup was there. That was confirmed by the two men in suits, that John recognized as Gallifrey guards, on the sides of the auditorium. He nodded at each of them before taking his seat next to Rose. 

The performances were nothing near professional but exceptionally cute. Rose leaned over to her mother throughout, pointing out things. He could hear Jackie's voice. "Rose, do you see that little girl dressed as the ladybug?"

"The one in the back facing the wrong direction?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, that one was you your first year."

John chuckled next to her and Rose elbowed him in the ribs then leaned to him. "I bet somewhere on a football pitch there was little John Smith, doing cartwheels instead of playing."

He looked at her, affronted. He whispered to her," I'll have you know, I was the number one dandelion picker in my league."

Rose laughed beside him. 

OoOoO  
Rose loved watching the kids dance. There was some real talent in the older kids. It was wonderful to see that they had a nice place to perform, whether it was in pursuit of a career or just for fun. After the dancing, there was African drumming with more dancing, then some modern dance. There was also a quick one act play. These kids were amazing. In total, the performance was only an hour, but it felt like five minutes to Rose. 

A few years back, she had heard that this neighborhood had 150% more violent acts in the past five years. Her mother had called her to tell her. It had made her so mad. These were good kids, well mostly, and parents who were trying hard. They needed something. The community center was already there, as she had gone to it for years, but it was dilapidated and had little or no performance space. So she had talked to her record company, pulled in a few "anonymous investors" mainly people looking for tax breaks that may or may not want to be associated with a place for kids, and also donated a large chunk of her own money. It felt so good. While her money was piling up, these kids needed help. That's what she did, and it felt better than any platinum album could have. 

After everyone was done, Joe came out and thanked them all and Rose one more time. He brought with him a stool and set it on the stage. Then he motioned for Rose to join him. "I know some of you have questions for Miss Tyler, so let's bring her up and we can do just that. "

John got up first and led her out into the aisle. She looked up at Joe and then the stool. Nope, there was no way she was going to sit on the stool in the middle of that stage. When they got down to the front, John started towards the side of the stage so she could walk up, but she stopped. "John," she said, "give me a boost?" 

His face lit with a question but she smiled at him. He was at her side a moment later, putting his hands on her hips while she jumped up, landing sitting on the edge of the stage. She turned to Joe and reached for the microphone. She hadn't seen John's blush as he walked away. With the exception of lifting her periodically, and usually to get her out of trouble, he hadn't ever touched her. But this time his hands unintentionally met the skin of her sides. He hadn't anticipated his reaction. 

Joe, also a little confused, handed the microphone to her. When she had it, she turned back to the house. "OK, I like it here, I also can hear you better. Now, let's have the kids come up close. It's OK, just right down here in the aisle. That way we can talk better. " She pointed to the area right in front of her. John stood on the floor, but his height mad him come up to her knees as she sat on the stage. He looked up at her and she smiled back confidently. 

The children came up quickly, all eager to be near Rose Tyler, but the kept a respectable distance when they saw John. 

"OK, now, little ones up front," Rose was saying, as she watched the very little ladybug that she has been taking about take a seat below her. 

"Now, that's much better, isn't it?" she asked to the sounds of agreement from the children. "So, how about I answer some questions."

The questions at first were mostly asked by teenagers asking about advice to get in the business, a few asked about the music, and the little ladybug asked if she liked dogs or cats. "Which do you like?" Rose asked back.

The little girl was suddenly overcome with bashfulness, but managed to murmur," Cats."

"Well then I like cats too," Rose said, beaming, "and ladybugs!"

The kids all laughed at that. 

As less hands were going up and John figured that they wear finishing, one boy about twelve stood up. He had been one of the drummers. He had a mischievous look. 

"What's your name and question?" Rose asked.

"I'm Kyle and I want to know who he is and if he had a gun," the boy asked, pointing at John. 

There were gasps among the little kids and Rose saw Joe flinch at her side. John just looked up at her. 

Rose smiled kindly at the boy, who was clearly looking for shock value. "This is John Smith my bodyguard, but I guess you already figured that out. As to your other question-" Rose stopped short. Beside her, John was taking off his leather jacket, leaving him just in his jumper and jeans. He set this jacket on the stage, then raised his arms so that the top of his jeans could be seen, he then turned in a slow circle. The kids all "ooohed" and "ahhed". Rose was happy no one was watching her at that moment, because her eyes had gone to the little strip of skin that showed when he lifted his arms. She just saw a little bit of his toned abdomen, and instantly wanted to see more. But before she did, he put his arms back down.

"See?" he said, "No gun."

"Then how do you guard her?" Kyle asked snidely. 

John took one quick step towards the boy,who quickly sat down. "I have my ways," John said, to the roaring laughter of the audience. 

"We can take one more question," Joe said to the children, "preferably one that does not involve guns."

The little ladybug stood up again. Rose smiled sweetly. "Go ahead, little one, what's your question?"

The girl, now wide eyed, looked at John then back to Rose. She seemed terrified to ask. 

Rose slid off the stage and walked up to her, kneeling in front of her. "It's OK, what's your question?"

The girl leaned forward, her hand cupping the side of her mouth and Rose put her ear to her. The little girl said something and Rose laughed out loud, shook her head and whispered something back. The little girl then leaned back once more and whispered something very short. Rose smiled hugely and then hugged her, saying something once again in her little ear. The girl put her hand over her mouth and giggled at the secret, then sat down. 

Then Rose stood up. "OK, well we have to get moving with other stuff. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed seeing you all perform today and hope I can get back for more. But now we have to do grownup stuff. Just keep going, keep performing, hard work has great rewards."

From the stage, Joe said,"Let's all thank Miss Rose Tyler!"

Everyone started to clap and cheer. Joe motioned to the side of the stage, indicating the fastest way out and John let her lead, his hand hovering near her back. She didn't lean back now like she had the night before, but he could tell that her proximity was not making her uncomfortable. 

Once backstage, Joe led them out and towards the meeting room where she would speak to the community center board. As they were walking down the long hall, John leaned over to her.

"What did the ladybug ask you?"

Rose smiled up at him shyly. "She asked if you were my boyfriend."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her no."

"Then what did she say? "John asked carefully.

"She said you should be." 

They had made it to the room then, and John couldn't ask what the final words were that she had whispered in the little girl's ear. 

OoOoOo

John stood silently in the back of the room as Rose had a meeting with the board. They were very thankful for all the funds she had allocated to them and the time she had spent providing ideas and support. It sounded to John like she made sure things were perfect and if they weren't she got more money so that they could make it right. The auditorium was just part of it too. There were upgrades to the plumbing and heating too as well as new floors in a rehearsal room. 

Rose sat there, at a table with people twice her age, and it was like nothing. Jack joined them but didn't speak at all. She charmed them, explained further projects she would like to be involved in and also talked about coming back for some sessions with the kids, all without advertisement. She just wanted to help. 

John wasn't sure when he had ever been more impressed.

He heard the door open next to him and felt a tug on his jacket. It was Jackie. She whispered,"Are they almost done?" She pointed to her watch. 

John's eye flitted back to Rose, who looked up at that moment. She held up a finger, indicating she was nearly done. 

Things wrapped up quickly after that, with hand shakes all around then pictures that Rose had John take. 

They all walked out together. Some of the children were still around, and she let them come up to her for hugs and pictures. Some handed her little trinkets, and she thanked them each profusely, slipping each item into a pocket, but any bracelets of necklaces she immediately put on, then would pose for a selfie if the parent or child produced a phone. 

John could tell that Jackie was eager to go, but Rose was present with each child, giving each one her time. Finally though, she was able to break away and get to the car. Jack met them there. 

"So, Rose, last night in London, what's happening? Jack asked.

"Oh I have plans!" Jackie piped up

Rose rolled her eyes. "Mum, before we make plans, we need to check with John. He has to make sure it's safe."

John tried to not show his surprise with her mention of him without prompting. Just about a week ago, she would have been all for it.

"Well, he's your bodyguard, not your social director, " Jackie whined. "He'll follow anywhere we go. So the plan is to hit up that new sushi place in the entertainment district, I called ahead and they are ready for you, dinner will be at seven. That will be just us and my friend Bev. Then, it's drinks and dancing with all the girls at this really fun country bar. They also know you're coming. Jack, you come too!"

Jack seemed pleased with this. 

Rose climbed into the back of the car. "Mum, I'm always in for a party, but you should have talked to me about this. I just thought it would be the two, well three of us, I didn't know it would be a whole thing”

Jackie put her hands on her hips. "Well you're my daughter and I miss being with you. So, we're going out. " She pointed to John. "I don't want to hear anything about it.” 

John looked at her then to Rose. He nodded tersely and opened his car door.

Plans were quickly made for Jack to meet them and soon John was driving them to Jackie's house. All the way Jackie chattered on about this and that, and John noticed something very different about Rose. She was more mature than her own mother. Jackie was caught up in matters of gossip and trivial matters, Rose not only donated money to brighten the lives of children, but also orchestrated the use of those funds and insisted on the way they were spent. On top of that she was a successful performer, writer and dancer.

The snotty little girl he had thought he had met was now the one shooting him apologetic looks in the rear view mirror now.

At Jackie's house Rose took in her bag and went to change. She walked past John and he grabbed her arm lightly. "Rose, do I need to go for a change of clothes? "

She shook her head. "This sushi place is pretty casual, not formal. You don't have to change. Then the bar is just a bar. I mean, it's a country bar, so you may need a cowboy hat."

He grimaced and she laughed, his hand falling from her arm. 

"I'm kidding, you'll be fine." 

John wasn't quite done with her. "Um, do you want me to take the trinkets and bracelets and stuff the kids gave you? I can dispose of them." 

Her eyes widened. "No way! I love this stuff! I know that most people just throw it away, but someone thought to make this for me. I'm going to keep it. "

"You'll need to add onto your house if you do," he said.

"I'm OK with that." She smiled brightly at him. "By the way, thank you for today."

"Just doing what you pay me to."

She looked down to where he had grabbed her arm. "Not hardly. You didn't have to show that you weren't armed, or whatever. You could have stood there, but you interacted. But you were armed, weren't you?

He smiled at her. "Always." 

She reached up and knocked on his chest again, feeling the now expected hardness of his vest. "One day you're not going to have that on and I'll knock the wind out of you doing that." She smiled and stepped back.

"You knock the wind out of me every day," he said without thinking. Then he too stepped back, his eyes getting big. Neither of them had a chance to say anything else because Jackie also chose that moment to walk in.

"C'mon Rose, go get changed. We have a night out to accomplish!" 

Rose's eyes flicked to John's, and he cleared his throat and said,"And I have additional security to work on." He headed for the living room without another look at them. 

Rose called after him. "And thank you for rolling with all this. I hope it's not to hard to adjust to." 

"Nothing is too hard to adjust to," he said back matter-of-factly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may ask, where is this going? Is it all fluff? Well, dear readers, anyone who has read any of my other fics knows that all is well until it all blows up. But first I have to get there. So more character building in this one. Don't worry there is a truckload of angst on the horizon.

John arranged for the extra security to meet them at the restaurant. He would use the valet to park the SUV, never leaving Rose's side. John, now knowing Jackie's propensity for social media and her telling the different places that they were coming, had an inkling that they may not have an easy night on their hands.

He was right. The first place was a circus. They arrived to flashing cameras and cheering, but luckily security was helpful and they were ushered to a back room quickly. The dinner was still wild though. Not only was this a sushi place, but it came with entertainment. There was a personal sushi bar in the room with its own chef. There were knives literally flying around, a lot of laughing, a light show and loud music. John hated it. Rose, however, seemed to be having fun. The only person her age that was there was Bonnie, and she joined them later. Jack was there, and the rest were her mother's friends. The sake bombers started soon after they arrived and if got even wilder.

John sat in the room at a table in the corner by the door into the room, watching the proceedings. It was interesting seeing Rose in a position that she was overshadowed by someone. Her mother was a force of nature. Jack was right in the mix too, partying with all the women. But for once, Rose was not the center of attention. 

Rose caught his eye during all of it and pointed to her food, asking without speaking if he wanted anything to eat. She knew that he didn't eat when working except for the protein bars he told her about. He shook his head but mouthing "thank you." Before John knew it, the waiter was delivering some ice water to him. He took it and smiled at Rose, knowing that she must have felt like she had to do something. 

When dinner was over, he had one of the additional guards get the SUV pulled around. He took up his position next to Rose, and as they reached the front door he felt her hand snake its way to his arm. As the door opened and the flashes started, that little hand got tighter. He used his free arm to make a path and skillfully maneuvered her into the back seat. Several of her mother's friends got in too, along with Bonnie and Jack, and he sat in the front passenger seat.

The noise level in the SUV was bad, someone was playing music, some were singing, and there was just all manners of loud conversation. John wasn't even sure how all the people got in there but didn't want to know.

The next stop was a country and western bar, again with a loud crowd outside. When they pulled up, John got out and opened the door, letting people out until he got to Rose. She looked up at him apprehensively.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked into her ear.

She lightly shook her head. 

He smirked. "You just have to get in touch with your inner cowgirl." 

She smiled back. "You know full well that no one in that bar has ever touched a horse. Including me."

"That's a fair bet,"he answered.

Just like always, he guided Rose in. The inside of the bar was rustic with loud country music blaring. Jackie led them to a big table and they sat, all ordering drinks. The dancefloor was quite big and in the middle of the room, with the tables lining the edges. The table they had was farther to the back and well partitioned off , but could be easily seen. John set up near a post where he could both see the table and the dance floor.

Again Jackie was the center of attention and Rose let it happen. Shots were passed around and the party got going again. Jack was the first to get up and dance and the ladies followed en masse, Rose among them. She went by him on her way down and he followed to be closer to her. There was a break in the music and he said into her ear, "Go get 'em cowgirl".

She gave him a withering look and stuck out her tongue. He just laughed.

As the night wore on, there were more drinks and dancing, Jackie being the social director. Rose followed and had fun, but John noticed her not drinking as much as the others and hanging back too. This was different behavior than her usual party personality, but she had also had a busy week, she had to be tiring. 

OoOoO

Rose had not wanted to be involved in the country night out. In fact she would have been happier staying at her mother's place and having a quiet night of just visiting. But her mother had other ideas. Her mother always had other ideas. Jackie had been the one pushing so hard for Rose to succeed, it had worked well, but there were definitely some parts of Rose that were happy that she and her mum now lived in different countries.

As much as it was fun to go out with her mother's friends along with Jack and Bonnie, and this bar was surprisingly fun, she also knew that she needed to be up the next morning for her flight back to the states. It was her jet, but there were parameters for the flight and schedules to maintain. 

At the bar they had danced a lot, but she hadn't been drinking a lot, just enough in fact, because it had been a long week and the desire wasn't there to overindulge. 

After getting up and learning how to line dance, then just dancing for fun, the group settled again. Rose looked up to John, catching him suppressing a yawn. His head was turned away from her, but it was unmistakable. Then it occurred to her that he had been up this whole tome too, and he had to be constantly on alert. He must be exhausted, but she knew if she asked he would never admit it. But as he finished , he caught her looking at him and quickly dropped his hand from his mouth.

She leaned over to her mum. "Hey, I'm pooped I think I'm going to duck out." 

"Her mum looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious, the night's just begun!"

"Yeah, I've kind of had a tough week, I think I'm done, but Jack will keep the tab open. Have fun!"

Everyone got up to hug her, and plans were made for Jack to meet them early in the morning. Bonnie wanted to stay another few days and fly back commercially .

Soon John was leading her out to the waiting car. Again they had to wade through paparazzi but John was skillful , leading her with a practiced hand. He saw to it that she was safely inside, but then got into the driver's seat himself.

As he pulled away, he heard Rose's seatbelt unlatch and felt her climb into the front passenger seat. 

"Lonely?" he asked with a smirk. He knew he should have asked her to stay in the back, he also knew that that wasn't an option. 

"What happened to the other security guy? Why did you send him away? It's not like my mother needs security, well everyone else might, come to think of it."

He laughed. "No, I sent him home. He didn't need to follow us to the hotel. I'll have people out there to meet us when we get there. This way he can catch a ride back with the other guys and not be stranded." 

"You were being nice."

"Yes, but speaking of being nice, did you decide to leave because you caught me yawning?

"Maybe."

"You didn't need to do that, I was fine. "

"I wanted to. Besides there has been a lot packed into this week. And though I was having fun, it was a little much. I love being with my mum, but in that element, she is overwhelming. I get that she wants to be with her friends, but I don't. I would have preferred sitting at home and watching a movie together. That's the best night for me.

"Oh, come on,"John protested,"I have witnessed your epic parties and nights out. You can't tell me that this wasn't your scene." 

"It wasn't, I swear. My mum likes to show me off. But I'm picking up the tab for all this, dinner and clubbing. It's not like it'll hurt me financially, but sometimes I feel little taken advantage of." 

"It comes with being the richest person in the room. Not that I agree with it." 

"But didn't you have any fun? Watching it all, John? I mean, some of my mom's friends are pretty hot. Any one of them would have loved to catch your eye?" She didn't know why she asked that, and even as the words left her mouth, they tasted sour. Maybe she was making conversation, maybe she was testing the waters, maybe she had no idea what she was doing. 

He scoffed. "First of all, I'm working-" 

"But your job is to observe. I swear Bev had her eye on you all night.”

To Rose's relief, John chuckled. " She kept bumping into me then putting her hand on me to apologize. It was as subtle as a car crash.” 

Rose laughed out loud. "See? If you weren't working you'd have a date. You must have noticed.”

John didn't say anything immediately. Then, " Not my type. I like women who work for a living, not ones that glom onto others. No offence to your mother.” 

"None taken. I know my mum is mostly supported by me, but she was there in the beginning. But none of those women interested you? C'mon John. Wait, you said that you like women who work for their money, so you're not gay, right?”

"Nope, not that I know of," he said, turning into the hotel. 

They were met by the hallway security guys, who took the car as John led Rose up. He cleared her room like always, and went for the door adjoining the rooms. He stalled just before he opened it. "You know that you didn't have to call it a night on my account. You shouldn't do that."

"You looked tired."

"I could have gone all night, that's my job."

"But you didn’t have to. I was done anyway. "

"Rose, you needn't worry about me. My job is to keep you safe. Most people don't even notice their guards. I'm supposed to be wallpaper. You need to just ignore me. I'll be there for you. Just ignore me." He reached for the door, opening it. "Goodnight, Rose." He stepped through the door. 

"Wallpaper," she repeated.

"Yes, wallpaper, ignore it. " He closed the door. 

"The problem is that I can't ignore you." she mumbled, turning towards her bathroom. 

Once the door was closed, he leaned against the wall. Something was happening, something not good. He had treaded these waters before. Nope, this couldn't happen again. He couldn't survive it a second time.   
Oooooo  
Early the next morning John knocked on their combined door to a muffled, "Come in!" He walked in to find her trying to stuff a dress into her hanging bag. He came up behind her, reaching around, helping push it in. With him there, she was able to work the zip. He had to leaned in, putting his weight on her as he pushed around her. She zipped it up to the top and he pushed back instantly. She whirled around, a little flushed. "Thank you."

He nodded. She noticed he was also flushed. They both stood there, staring at each other for a moment, but both jumped when there was a knock at the door. They simultaneously whipped around to it. John moved first, opening the door to the hotel bellman. Neither of them looked at each other as they loaded her luggage. Koshi joined them a minute later. 

John did a quick walk-through to be sure nothing got left, then slung his things over his shoulder, walking behind Rose as she left. It was only then that he realized that she was wearing fuzzy pajama pants with cartoon characters on them and a t-shirt. He smirked. "Nice outfit," he commented. 

She turned and stuck out her tongue. "Shut it, wallpaper." 

OoOooO

Jack met them at the airport. He looked thoroughly rumpled and had dark glasses on. Rose thought that maybe he didn't sleep at all. Bonnie had opted to stay a few extra days, her mum was recovering from surgery. Rose had happily paid for a commercial flight back. 

When they climbed up in the cabin, Jack made a beeline for one of the bedrooms. Rose stalled a bit, but then went to the other room. 

John checked in with the pilot, then took his seat across the aisle from Koshi, putting in ear buds and settling in. He hadn't slept well the night before, even for him, so he closed his eyes.

John was roused some time later by the sensation of something swishing by his legs. He opened his eyes to see Rose, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, taking the seat next to him.

"Another bad dream? He asked, voice rough with sleep.

She smiled at him. "Nope, I'm good." Then drew her legs up to the seat and closed her eyes without further explanation.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another fun one, they are getting closer and John is loosening up. But what's that on the horizon? Oh yeah... plot. It's on it's way. Enjoy this while you can ;) .

Life back in LA is calmer than in London. Instead of events and such, it was more like day to day life. It allowed John and Rose to get in a rhythm of being home. She kept a busy schedule, but it was much easier to follow. 

But, as per usual, something came up. A few days after they got back. Jack came over with news. Rose had been asked to perform at an upcoming awards show. It was a newer one, not like the Grammys, but something about web streaming, mixed with videos. She had explained it to John, but he didn’t follow, making her laugh. But as per the usual when something was coming up, he figured she would be rehearsing a lot, meaning a house full of dancers and choreographers, all who would have to be checked out. But he would get the details from Jack and work out a plan. Just like always. 

Rose had said that she was excited to do the show, mainly because there was a big award and recognition going to someone who had worked with her early in her career. John had never heard of him. Rose was chosen because of her early work with him and his inspiration to her. 

But surprisingly, the house had not been filled with people, at first Rose was on the phone a lot with Jack and some others. Then someone came in, Rose explained she was her voice coach, but she had already been vetted by Gallifrey, so John didn’t pay much attention. They would go into Rose’s personal studio and work with her normal sound guy, but since the whole area was secure, John would stay close, but not go in. 

A few days after the new kind of activity started, John sauntered in as Rose and Bonnie were going over sketches of dresses.

"Oh, I like I like that one!" Rose gushed, "Hey John, what do you think?"

John looked over her shoulder, walking behind the couch. "It's going to be hard to so all those dance moves of yours in that. You'll get all tangled up."

Rose laughed. "Haven't you been paying attention? I'm not doing my usual at this next show, it's special. I'm singing... like you said I should. "

John's eyes widened. "The very last thing you should ever do is get advice from me. Heck, I wouldn't even follow my advice. "

She smiled back at him. "But what you said got me thinking. I like to sing, I'm good at it. I want to put something else out there. You know, expand my horizons. "

She looked up to him hopefully. In that moment he didn't know what to say. "Ok," he finally said, going into the kitchen. 

Rose watched him go, not sure how to react to him, then turned back to Bonnie, shrugging. Outwardly she wanted a better reaction, but inwardly she knew that this was not common. He didn't react to her like she would have wanted, but he never did in front of others, well he never really did at all. But she found herself thinking back to his backhanded compliments and couldn't help but wonder if he really did have an opinion.   
OoOoOo  
In the days at home, John and Rose fall into an easy rhythm. He would get up early, go for a run, then she would usually join him in the workout room. She would go yoga or use the machines, he would use hand weights as well as do pushups, sometimes he would use the exercise bike. Unlike before they left for London, they had developed a banter. John had picked up that she was around him a whole lot more. Usually on these jobs he stayed in the background, wallpaper, like he said, but Rose was different. She liked to have him close. She would have friends come and go, but usually asked him to watch TV with her or eat with her. At first he had been reluctant, but she seemed so sincere. They often found themselves seated at the breakfast bar having lunch between her meetings and rehearsals. 

The truth was though, that he didn’t mind spending time with her when she wasn’t being “party Rose”. He found her to be mature and even engaged him in meaningful conversation. It wasn’t terrible. In fact, it was fun. They were growing closer and he wasn’t sure if that was OK or not. But he would not cross the line. Nope. But friendship, or a least a good working relationship, was not off the table. It made his time in her home much better. But of course he would fade into the background as soon as someone else came into the house.   
OoOo  
Early one morning John was in his bedroom, hunched over, tying his trainers when a bright pink pair of running shoes came into view. He slowly looked up, taking in Rose, wearing very short running shorts and a tight workout vest top. He quirked an eyebrow at her. 

"Can I help you Miss Tyler?" he asked with a smirk. 

"Yes Mr.Smith, I was letting you know that I was interested in beating you in a footrace today. "

He quirked a smile. "Oh really? I doubt you can finish my course. "

She crossed her arms defiantly, "OK Mr.Athletic Pants, you make the course, but you have to tell me what it is before hand. Loser has to buy lunch. "

"Your food is delivered,” he deadpanned.

"No, I'll order something, but that's only if I lose, which is not a possibility. "

He stood in front of her. "I'll sweeten it. Loser has to make dinner, tonight, and do all the dishes. "

She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not in the mood to cook, plus I wanted to go out tonight. I got a text about a party. I was going to talk to you about it. "

It was his turn to cross his arms. "You know, that unless I think there is a threat, you just have to tell me where you want to go, you don't have to ask me. "

She regarded him for a moment. "But I picture my security as more of a team effort. Plus you are much less cranky when you're well informed. "

"I'm not going to argue with the last part. " He stood, walked over to a handheld radio that was on his desk and switched it on. He pressed the talk button and spoke. "Dispatch, this is the Doctor, going for a run, usual route, but this time I have the Princess with me. Out approximately 30 minutes." John heard her scoff at her code name, which made him smile. 

The dispatcher came back with an affirmative. Rose didn't hear any more because he turned on his ear piece and put it in his ear. Then he put the radio in a small backpack along with his bleeding control kit that also been resting on the dresser. "Ready?" he asked.

"The Princess?" she countered. 

"I was going to go with Evil Monkey, but they didn't like that," he retorted with a bright smile, then dodged out of the way when she took a swipe at him. 

“Do you carry that bleeding kit everywhere you go?”

“I have it if I'm guarding the Evil Monkey. So I’m taking it with today.”

“Can I see what’s in it?”

“Sure, but not now, I have a race to win.” He stepped back with a smile then turned and ran to the front door, and Rose picked up on his intentions right away. He barely stepped out the door and she was on his heels. The first part of the run was a sprint for both of them, across the grounds, around the pool and out a side gate. She could see that this was his normal route, as a little trail was forming. They ran down the street and when it ended, down an embankment onto an urban trail. They followed that for a little while before it circled back, and they turned onto another trail which led to the other side of her property. While on the road, Rose noticed John waving or nodding to people both on her property or not. Once back inside her gates, she asked. "Are those guys all my security?"

He nodded. "Some are. Some of them are also security for people in the neighborhood. We all kinda work together to make the area safe.” 

They had slowed on the lawn by the pool, but were still advancing on the house. John turned to her briefly with a sparkle in his eye, turned, and took off for the house. "No fair!" Rose yelled after him, giving chase. 

John was fast, but Rose was quick too. He hadn't made it far before she grabbed his hand, pulling him to the ground on the grass. He tumbled, taking hold of her arm, pulling her into the fall with him, and they rolled onto the grass. This time though, he landed on top of her. His legs were spread out, and hers were between his. His hands landed on either side of her head. Rose looked up at John, suddenly very self conscious of their current situation. John stared down at her in shock, his eyes wide and was up on his feet in a second, offering her a hand up, his expression now guarded. 

She took his hand and let him pull her to standing without a word, looked at him, smiled sweetly, then took off for the house, to his cry of "Hey!"

The last few feet to the door was an all out race. Both of them giving all they had, and ultimately two hands hit the door at the same time. They both stepped back, chests heaving. John with his hands on his knees and Rose with hers above her head. 

"Tie," he breathed out. 

"Tie" she repeated, breathing equally as hard. 

John looked out at the grounds, his hand coming up to scratch his head. "Um, you order lunch today and I do it tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she said tucking hair behind her ear. With that, they both walked inside. 

Neither of them acknowledged the tumble in the grass, but went inside to shower, separately.   
OooOoo   
Rose got to work shortly thereafter and was quickly distracted with the arrival of Shareen. John made himself scarce while they worked on a few things but mostly gossiped and giggled. John could see that they were old friends it was obvious, the kind of easy rhythm they had. 

Around noon John was alerted by radio about an incoming car. He went and found Rose in the living room. "Did you order food?" he asked. 

"Wasn't that my part of the bet? " she asked back. "Giovanni's Pizza is coming."

John nodded, spoke into his radio and about five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. About that time Bonnie and Jessica also came in. John put the pizza in the kitchen, and the girls all followed. He watched them for a minute. When Rose was with them, she acted more her age. It was funny though, she could be so mature when she wanted to be. It was getting loud in there so he took two pieces of pizza and left for his room. Rose watched him go with a frown before Bonnie got her attention again. 

OoOoOo

The girls played around, worked some, swam and goofed around all afternoon, later watching a movie and dozing off on the couches. John was able to get the address of the party that they were going to, as well as who was hosting it. He did research and contacted dispatch about it too. The plan was for him to go alone but he also found out that several others from Gallifrey Security would be there, including Koshi, who was assigned temporarily to someone else. 

As the evening wore on, and the girls "pre-gamed" with margaritas and loud music, John waited around for them to get ready. He would drive them all to the party but made it clear that they were to get their own rides home. All he needed was to be playing nursemaid to drunk twenty-something-year-olds. Reluctantly they agreed. 

While they were getting ready, John sat at the kitchen table with his laptop. He had already changed into a nice suit. It wasn't one of the ones he wore out to her events, but a simple black one that allowed room for his shoulder holster. He sat comfortably, typing an email to Sara Jane asking for updates and threat assessment when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What 'cha typing?" Rose's voice was right next to his ear. 

"Geez!” He jumped back. "How can you be so sneaky? You're the loudest person I know!"

Rose laughed out loud. "You were concentrating and I also can be quiet when I want to. "

"I have a hard time believing that," he mumbled. 

She slapped him on the shoulder. "Is that about me?"

"Yes, I'm writing my memoir, it's called 'Herding Cats, The Story of How I Had To Keep Teenagers Alive'"

"I'm not a teenager, far from it. I’m 25, you know that," she protested. 

"Nearly," he countered, then decided to let her in on it. "No, I'm looking for updates on your situation, you know, threats and such. "

Rose's voice got soft. "Will you tell me if there are more threats?"

"You want to know?"

"Yes, I feel like I need to know. " She leaned on the counter next to him.

"We'll see, I don't want you to freak out on me."

"You underestimate me."

"Keeping you safe is my job, trust me."

"But I need to know if there is something I need to do." Her voice had taken a vulnerable quality, one that he had only heard when she was scared. 

"Granted, I will tell you if there is something."

"Thank you." She pushed off the counter. 

Right then, the kitchen volume went up 100% with the arrival the rest of the girls. John looked at them for the first time and laughed. They were a mix of neon t-shirts, acid washed jeans, side ponytails, and bangle bracelets. He hadn’t looked at Rose very closely while talking to her. 

"What?" Rose asked,"It's an eighties party. You can dress up too if you want. We can get you a muscle shirt and really short shorts. "

"No thank you, I have a classic style." He flicked the collar of his white shirt. All the girls giggled. 

John stopped for a second, squinting, looking closely at Shareen. He hadn't looked at her really since she had arrived. “What happened to your eye?”

She put her hand up to her right eye. It had a dark purple circle under it. She had a perfectly formed black eye. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was working and we were adjusting a bar in a dance studio. I was on one end and someone went to fix the one end, but it slipped an socked me in the eye. It’s a stupid injury. But I don’t cover it, it still shows through makeup. But it makes me look tough. “

John nodded. “OK Rocky, whatever you say.” The girls all laughed at that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I smell trouble in paradise? Yes I do!

Later that night, the girls all piled into a black SUV and John drove them to the party. It was at a large mansion about fifteen minutes from Rose's house. He pulled up to the valet and let the girls out, asking to keep his car close and giving the valet a good tip. He followed the girls inside only to be hit with a wall of sound. There was a DJ in the main area pumping out house music. The girls screamed in unison and ran inside. John looked around and went to settle in the dining room area that would give him a good view of the interior of the house. What he saw when he got there made him laugh. The room was filled with ten other guards, all dressed similarly to him all with bored expressions. 

He greeted them with a smile. "We all look like middle aged parents who are waiting for our kids at the mall, but none of them want to acknowledge our presence." He drew laughs from the others, and a wave from Koshi, who was seated at the back of the room. Some of the guards were male some female but all had the same job, to keep one of the party goers safe. John recognized several of them also. 

Though the party was a wild one, complete with people jumping in the pool and plenty of crazy behavior, Rose checked in periodically with John. Although that had come to be her behavior, it was a little odd considering that's not how she had been in the beginning. She kept to areas where he could keep an eye on her which was helpful. She also would come over and tell him something funny then dance off to be with the girls. As the night wore on, the room of security began to clear out as the guarded found other places to be, including Koshi who clapped John on the back as he left. 

John sat still, watching the goings on when he felt someone sit in the chair next to him. His eyes widened slightly when he glanced over. She was clearly one of the other guards, both evidenced by her business-like dress and age. She wasn't old, just older than most of the party goers. And she was beautiful. She had blonde hair that fell onto her shoulders, a bright smile, and the truest blue eyes he had ever seen. He smiled despite himself. She didn't look like any security he'd ever seen. "So, who's your charge?" she asked him, leaning towards his ear so he could hear her over the music. 

"Rose Tyler, yours?" John had to lean in close too. Though she was dressed with a dark blazer over black pants, at close range John could see that she was not wearing a vest, instead she had a sheer silk shirt over a camisole, that showed more of her bust than was normally excepted in their line of work. 

"Tyler Elle, he's a singer in a boy band 'The BOYZ', and a complete douche. I had to audition and send in a headshot to be his security. "

John laughed. "Did he get a threat?

"Yeah, it said he would have the life drained out of him. I hope they find this guy fast, because this punk is draining the life out of me. "

John laughed again. It also registered that she had the brightest red lipstick on, something else that was not usual for security. 

"I'm pretty good with Rose," he offered, "we had a rough spot at first, but after getting to know each other, she's started to follow the rules. We do OK now. "

"I saw the picture of you carrying her out of the club in the tabs. I wish I could do that with my brat. It would save me a lot of heartache if I could just sling him over my shoulder when he gets obnoxious, which is all the time. "

John dropped his smile. "Well, she got stuck in a mosh pit, so I had to. It was dangerous. "

She snorted, "I'm Sasha."She held out her hand. 

"John," he said back, shaking her hand. 

Sasha pulled out a phone. John looked back out, made eye contact with Rose, who was standing with a guy about her age that he hadn't seen before. His attention was turned back to Sasha when she put her hand on his arm and gave it a light squeeze. John turned back to her, still smiling, but had to lean in again. 

"I thought that maybe if we were doing similar jobs, maybe we could talk. Or go for coffee and debrief a little. You know, like a parent's night out." She laughed nervously. "We're both clearly really good... At what we do."

John took her in for a moment. Was she coming on to him, right now, in the middle of working? She was beautiful, granted but this was not the time. On top of that, it somehow also didn't feel at all right. He looked down at her hand, still on his sleeve. 

"I, uh, well I am not in a position to go out right now. I live at the house with Rose. "

"Ugh, you have to live with your brat? That must be terrible. I'd end up smothering mine in his sleep."

That was it. John stood, lightly shaking off her hand. "Yes, I have to live with Rose, but it's OK, she's not a brat. " He looked back to where she had just been standing, she wasn't there. "I need to go find her now. "

"Can I at least get your number?" Sasha was fishing. 

John stopped for a moment. "I, uh, I don't date. I'm married to my job." With that he left to go find Rose. 

OoOOoo

Rose was having a good time. The party had great music, great friends and just a good vibe all around. Additionally, Bonnie had introduced her to a guy, well Rose had met him once before. His name was Adam and he was a “youtuber”. He was good looking enough, and pretty funny, so Rose didn't mind him tagging along. But he was getting a little closer than she would have liked. He made sure to talk to her a lot and pay a lot of attention to her, getting drinks and so forth. Rose was careful to keep her distance. She hadn't really intended on meeting someone, and was too busy right now, and also it just didn't feel right. 

The other thing was John. She didn't know how to think about him. She hated to think that she had a crush on him, because crushes were for kids, but he did occupy a lot of her time when she wasn't thinking about work. He was nice, always there, fun to be around. He didn't have to do the things he did, like giving her his jacket, or helping her. But he did, and that made her wonder. She had come to really enjoy their lunches together and working out with him in the mornings was fun too. In those unguarded times, he was a really good guy. He didn't talk about himself much, but she also felt like she was getting to know him a little better by the day. Little things would just slip out in conversation, like how his mother tried to force him to learn the piano and hoe he resented it. These moments made her laugh and she felt like they drew her closer to him. But there was always something there in-between them. An invisible wall that made her wonder if she was making headway or not. 

She felt Adam at her shoulder. "Hey," he said," that guy over there, the old one with the buzz cut, is he a creeper or is he your bodyguard? He keeps staring at you."

She shook her head. "Not a creeper, not old. He's John, my bodyguard, he's a good guy."

"And currently getting hit on," Adam said, laughing. 

Rose whirled around. There was a really good-looking woman, leaning to his ear, her hand on his arm. He was smiling, then talking back into her ear. 

Rose looked away, back to Adam. Her heart sped up, and suddenly she felt uncomfortably warm, anger that she did not anticipate welling up. It wasn't like she and John were even close to being a thing, but seeing him talking to her raised her hackles. He had only had eyes for her for the times he had been with her. Maybe this was how he really was. This lady was closer to his age, and job. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself. And, though she thought she knew him fairly well, she had never had the chance to see him with anyone else but her. He had been always focused on her and her only, no one else was around, except her mom's rowdy friends and the men from Gallifrey. It hit her hard in the chest that this was the first time she had ever seen him interact with any woman other than her mum or her friends. Maybe this was what he was really like. She cursed her stupidity. 

She grabbed Adam by the arm. "C'mon, I need a drink. "

OoOoOo

John found Rose a little bit later, after looking through the entire house, at the outside bar. She was with the girls and Adam, all standing around and doing shots. John settled into a chair out of view, or so he thought, as Rose caught his eye and downed a shot, then looked away, squealing at Shareen.

He maintained a neutral face, but inside his frustration bubbled. Rose hadn't acted out in weeks. He party behavior had stalled, and she hadn't been getting into trouble. But here it was again. He found it disheartening but knowing also that he wasn't supposed to judge. Just keep her safe. But he couldn't help himself. He had come to really like Rose. Despite his resolution to never get involved with another client, he liked being around her. He knew there was no future in a relationship with that much age difference, but he appreciated her maturity. She was still subject to acting her age, but he could see some things shine through. But when he saw her like this, it was hard to not be disappointed. 

John watched Rose and friends drink, staying out of the light. Things were heating up as far as activity. Before long Rose was lifted to the bar and was dancing on it with Bonnie. John tensed. The bartender was trying to get them off. John stood. This was not going to go well. Adam, the other girls and several others were cheering them on as they danced to the beat. The bartender was grabbing at their legs and telling them to get down. Rose looked John directly in the eye from her perch and smiled, then spun around and yelled, "Woo hoo!" John cringed. She knew exactly what she was doing. His heart sank. It was the exact same behavior he had seen early on. She was mocking him. His latest opinion of her, that she was more mature than he had originally thought was changed back in an instant. Maybe she wasn't mature. He must have gotten her wrong. 

Then Rose slipped. 

She fell fast, landing partly on Adam. "OWW!" she yelled. John was at her side in a flash, lifting people out of the way to get to her. 

"Are you alright?" he asked, resting his hand on her shoulder. 

She looked up at him defiantly. "I'm fine, leave me alone." The smell of the alcohol on her breath hit John like a slap.

He stiffened. "Are you hurt?"

She looked at him a second, then looked down at her feet. "I'm fine. Get back. "She pushed him hard on his chest, but he didn't move much. Hands grabbed her under her arms and hauled her to standing, where she yelled, "OW! My ankle!" She leaned on the person to her right. 

John had had enough. He stepped forward, brushed one of the people holding her up away and scooped her up in his arms. She hit him a couple of times on the chest in protest, but the whistles and hoots that came from the gathered party goers made her stop. 

Instead of the protest he had anticipated, she kicked her other leg in the air and held her arms up. "Look at me!" she yelled, "saved by the hot bodyguard! I'm saved!" 

John reddened, but not from embarrassment. He was fuming. He had been heading to the couch to put her down so he could examine her but re-routed to the door. He asked one of the workers at the party to have the valet bring his SUV around. Rose kept making noises and being loud the whole way into the house and all through it. John's progress was slow, his way repeatedly slowed by drunk party goers that wanted to heck on their new "friend". John was madder with each step. Rose was making a big deal out of all this and making him look like a fool. She was saying things like, "Oh yeah, look at him! He's probably carrying a gun! Can we see our gun John? I mean the one that shoots, well the one that shoots bullets!" There was laughter from the people swarmed around. 

John had to push ahead, his impulse was to just drop her and let her be, but she was drunk, acting stupid, and possibly needed a doctor. 

He finally made it to the front door and Rose realized what was happening. She started to slap his chest. "I'm fine, I don't want to leave. You're not in charge of me! I want to stay! " She was kicking harder now. "Someone get me more tequila! I'm staying!" She squirmed like a little kid in his arms. 

Shareen stepped in front of them and John's frown deepened. She looked up at him and smiled. "Rose, honey, I think you've had enough tonight. John just wants to take you home. You're hurt too. You won't be able to dance any more tonight anyway. We're all going home soon too. Why don't you let him take you? Huh? Then I'll call you in the morning. "

Rose stopped squirming, looking at her friend. "I love you Shareen, you’re my bestie." She awkwardly held out her hands and hugged Shareen, causing John to stumble forward a bit, but he held onto her. 

She let go of Shareen and looked up at him. "Are you drunk too? Don't drop me!" 

His jaw ticked as Shareen stepped out of the way and opened the door. Rose yelled "Wee!" again as he walked down the entrance steps to the waiting car. The valet opened the back door, he set her inside and felt Shareen next to him. "I'll get her buckled in," she said. 

John was grateful for that. He was past mad, approaching enraged. He climbed into the driver's seat and put his seat belt on. Shareen closed Rose's door and gave him the thumbs up and John pulled away.

Rose immediately asked for the radio to be on, which she sang to. John was more than happy to do that, so maybe he could ignore her. After a few moments she got quiet and he figured she maybe fell asleep. 

Then, a little slurred voice came from he back seat."Why do you always have to ruin all the fun?"

John's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He ignored the question. 

Then louder. "You should answer me. I'm your boss. " 

John took a deep breath, hoping to not have to answer. "Just go to sleep," he answered. 

"I thought you were nice," she said. 

She was quiet for a moment. And when he didn't answer, she continued. "Why don't you like me? Why are you so mean?" she insisted. 

Finally, John cracked. His eyes never left the road, but he addressed her, his voice steely. "Maybe if you acted your age rather than your shoe size, I would tolerate you more. What the hell are you doing, getting drunk and dancing on the bar? You're not stupid. "

They were nearing her house and John was hoping just to get there. He was pulling into the drive and putting in the security code when she heard a sob from the back. Great, now she was crying. 

John spoke quickly into his radio indicating that they were back and drove up the drive. He parked, he came around to her side and opened the door, but she was looking away. He unbuckled her and lifted her out, getting the first view of her face. He makeup had run down her face with tears. 

He carried her to the front door, and used his key card to open it, trying hard not to jostle her. 

Then he walked in and carried her up to her room. As he approached her bed, he had a memory of doing that very thing in London, after they had talked, but that time he had been drinking too. That had been the beginning of an understanding between them, one that seemed to have dissolved. He set her on the bed and started to remove her shoes. She batted away his hands, slurring that she could do it herself, which she couldn't. He kept on until her shoes were off. She squeaked when he pulled off the shoe on the injured foot. He looked it over quickly. It was starting to swell but not too bad. 

"We should call our doctor in the morning if it's not better," he said flatly. 

She didn't respond. He looked at her for a second then turned for the door. He had nearly made it when he heard her. "I hate you, John Smith. "

He shook his head and kept going. Once the door was closed, he whispered, "I'm not terribly fond of you either, Rose Tyler."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of two today. I probably just should have combined them. Oh well, enjoy the aftermath of Rose's behavior and John's frustration.

Rose stirred and groaned. Her head was killing her, she moved on the bed, pain shooting up her leg. Oh, yeah, her ankle. She cracked her eyes open, slowly trying to adjust to the light. Oh, this was a bad one. She hadn't been this hangover in a while. Oh, yeah, shots, lots of them. Slowly images of the last night came into view. There was a lot of drinking, then there was the dancing on the bar. She remembered falling. Oh yeah, John had gotten her. The moment he picked her up was wonderful. He held her so tight and he had smelled fantastic. But there was something else. She sat up and moaned again, looking around. On her bedside table were two bottles of water. Where they there when she went to sleep? She looked down at herself. She was still wearing her party clothes. 

She had a hazy recollection of John bringing her up to the bed. And one more thing, she remembered telling him she hated him. She wiped her hand over her face and then grabbed a water, forcing herself to drink it. That brought her more awake. She had told him she hated him... Again. Shit. 

Why had she done that? Was it because he almost had to drag her out of the party? Or something else? Slowly it dawned on her. She had seen him talking to a woman, a very beautiful woman. Then she got carried away. 

In the quiet, in the dark, she remembered the feeling of jealousy at seeing John talk to another woman. But why? Why had that made her see red? John wasn't hers. 

But deep down, she felt it. She wished he was. It was as simple as that. For once in her life, someone was near her that was 100% true. He didn't have an agenda. He was nice, strong and assured. He was also gorgeous. When she had his full attention, he was so giving. Her favorite times were when they were alone together, eating or whatever. Around him she didn't have to be Rose Tyler the performer she could just be Rose. But there she went, acting like a child. That's how he must see her, as a little girl who can't control herself. 

Suddenly she felt sick. She slid to the side of the bed, and swung her legs over the edge, holding her head, taking deep breaths. Slowly the nausea abated. 

In her pocket, her phone vibrated. She hadn't even realized it was there. 

Jack:"Are you alive? I heard there was quite a party."

Rose:"Barely. But I hurt my ankle, can you call the doctor to come see me?"

Jack:"John already texted me, he's on his way. Hell be there in about a half hour. "

Rose:" Thank you."

Slowly she got to her feet, groaning as her right foot hit the floor. It was sore but not horrible. Carefully she limped into the ensuite and took a quick shower. She got out, dried off, pulled her hair into a messy bun, the limped into her room and put on pajama bottoms and a vest top. After downing the other bottle of water, she raked open her bedroom door. 

The house was quiet except for something. It was a repetitive sound. She stood there, leaning on the doorframe listening. Then it occurred to her. It was she sound of someone breathing hard, but rhythmically, then the sound of a clink, the noise she heard when John was working out with weights. He was working out, and it sounded like he was working out really hard. He only made those sounds that loud when he was pushing himself. She wondered if that was because of her. That thought sat in the pit of her belly. He was mad. He was mad a her, because she had been so childish. 

Rose had made it most of the way down the steps to the living room when she heard the door chime. She had intended on getting it herself and letting John finish, but before she could, he jogged from the workout room to the front door. She only caught a brief look at him, but could see that he was covered with sweat. 

He didn't even look at her as he led the Doctor into the living room . Rose got there a second later. For the first time he looked at her, and he did so questioningly. 

"I'm fine, " she said. She thought for a second. "John-"

John turned to the doctor. "Do you have her alright? I need to go for a shower."

He was met with a nod from the doctor, who motioned Rose to sit. 

Rose was being examined when Jack keyed his way into the house. "Hey there Dancing Queen, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Jack. "

The doctor spoke up, "I offered her an IV, but she refused."

Jack eyed her. "You should get one, you'll feel much better. "

"I'm fine, I did this to myself, I'll fix it. "

Jack huffed, but was distracted by John coming back in the room. He was freshly showered, now wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt. It was all she could do to tear her eyes away from her when the doctor asked her another question. 

John walked past her and she could see the gun tucked into his waistband holster. She didn't know why, but it made her feel safe. He made her feel safe. But right now he would barely look at her. 

The doctor decided she had a minor sprain of her ankle and fitted her with an ankle brace and told her to ice it when she could. No more dancing, particularly on bars, for about a week. She didn't laugh at his attempt at humor. 

The doctor left shortly thereafter after he checked in with Jack. Jack stayed for another hour talking business, but finally he left too. The girls all checked in, Shareen was first and Rose asked her to detail what happened the night before. She felt more sick the more her friend texted. 

Rose:"Wait, I said John was hot? In front of everyone? What did he say?"

Shareen:"Nothing, he just flexed his jaw. "

Rose:"Oh boy. Ok, well, I have some damage control to do. Call me later."

Shareen:"KK"

Rose got off the couch, testing out the ankle with the brace. It wasn't too bad, a little sore, but she could tolerate it. 

She needed to talk to John. If nothing else, apologize. 

After searching, she found him in his room, sitting in a chair, reading a book. He looked up when she came in. "Do you need something?" he asked, his expression reserved.

She leaned on the door frame. It was now or never. "I need to apologize for last night. I was being stupid, and I know it made you mad."

He set down his book. "Whether or not you made or didn't make me mad is not an issue. My job is to keep you safe. I made the call to remove you from a potentially dangerous situation. That's on me. I'm working, just trying to do what I think is right. "

She gave him an odd look, then smiled. "Did you at least get her number?"

His eyebrows went up in confusion. "Who?"

"That other bodyguard. She was very interested in you."

"Oh, no, I was working. Also she was not my type. " He stopped for a second, then shook his head lightly. "Is there anything you need? Do you need to tell me about any plans?"

Her face fell a little. "No, I'm good. " She slid her hand down the door jamb, and looked back to him. 

He was watching her. "Well, tell me if I need to do anything." He picked up his book and opened it again. 

Rose limped away from his room. He had shifted back to the cool way he addressed her before London. It was all her fault too. Why did she act that way? She would have given anything just to have a nice conversation with him over turkey sandwiches in the kitchen again. But he had effectively just shut the door on that. 

OoOoOo

Rose's voice coach came later in the morning and she worked with her for over an hour. It had gone very well, and Rose couldn't help get excited. The debut of this song was going to be the start of something very new for her, well publicly anyway. There were already plans to start working on an album with her original works. The weird part was that John had said something, and at first she hadn't thought about it, but it kept bugging her, now here she was getting ready for a big reveal in front of an national audience. It was wild to think about. She stood to lose her current fan base by doing it, but in the best case, she could just add to what she had and not lose any. Just the thought of making that turn in her career thrilled her. 

At the same time, she had a pain that had nothing to do with her hangover. She had told John that she hated him. She didn't. In fact, if she hadn't been so stupidly jealous it wouldn't have been a problem. When she came out of the studio after working with her teacher, she found John waiting in a chair in the hall. He snapped shut the book he was reading and looked up at her. 

She looked down at her. "Did you hear any of that?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, not really, I wasn't really listening." He stood and motioned for her to take the lead back into the main house. 

Roes was disappointed to say the least. She had hoped he was listening. Not because she was singing to him, but because she was looking for anything that may mean that he wasn't as mad at her as she thought he was. 

She limped ahead of him. 

"Are you going to need crutches?" he asked after her. 

"I'm fine." she answered. 

"OK."

She headed for the kitchen and started looking in it for one of her packaged meals. "What do you want?" she asked over her shoulder. There was no answer. She stood upright again and looked around. He wasn't there. She had figured that he would follow her and have lunch with her, like usual. But today that was clearly not the case. She sighed, choosing a salad out of the fridge and sat at the breakfast bar to eat alone. 

She had work to do that afternoon and got started shortly thereafter. It wasn't much, just some lyrics to go over, but she sat with her leg up on the couch and worked. She saw John periodically, as he would check on her throughout the day, but there was no conversation. 

Later, after finishing her work before she thought she would, she looked around. The house was silent except for John's voice on the phone. Rose closed her laptop and went to find him. 

He was in his room on the phone, but with the door open. He held the phone to his ear. "Yeah, that would be fine. Thirty minutes? No problem. It'll only be out for about an hour. Thanks, Koshi. No, no one is over and I don't know of any plans, but as you know, that can change in a heartbeat. " He laughed at something Koshi said and rang off. 

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked leaning through the door. 

He whipped around, startled. "You scared me."

"I thought nothing ever scared you."

"You-" he stopped, she detected a miniscule shake of his head. "I was concentrating. I didn't hear you. "

She limped in and flopped down on his bed. He frowned, but she didn't move. "I asked you a question, are you leaving? I don't like Koshi as much as you... I mean having him here. He's weird. "

"Well I'm just going to the store. Your meals aren't really meeting some of my needs. I'll be back before too long. Are you having anyone over or going out?"

She shook her head. "Can I come with you?"

He blinked, stunned at the question. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I used to love grocery shopping. I never get to do it. "

"There's a reason for that. First off, you'll be mobbed, second, there has been a threat, actually several, on your life, and third, what would I do, put you in the trolley? You're not walking so well."

She swung her legs off his bed. "OK first, I can go in disguise, I'm good at it, second, I'd be with the best bodyguard in the world, and third, I'm feeling much better, if I pushed the trolley I'd be fine. Please? I'm going stir crazy in here. "

"Where is your posse? I mean you have people over here all the time. "

"Well, Shareen has a new client, a country singer, so she and Jessica are off to a country bar tonight to see how they are all dancing. Bonnie was going to come over, but I told her to stay home. I mean, I didn't feel like doing much. "

"But yet you want to go to the grocery?"

"Yes." 

He looked her over for a minute. "This isn't a good idea. It could all go very badly. "

"C'mon John, I'll hide in the car on the way out. No one will know. Just have Koshi come over like normal. I just want to do something like a normal person. Please, I promise to be good. No scenes. Nothing. Please?"

John's face softened. He shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "Fine. I don't think I could take another moment of you begging."

"Yay!" she squealed. Getting up. "I'll be ready when he gets here." She limped out. 

John breathed out a sigh. She was trouble, he knew it, he also knew but was completely unable to admit, that she was his kryptonite. He had been so mad at her. He worked out really hard that morning, that as after a truly punishing run. He still hurt from it, but it was all to try to get her out of his mind. He needed to distance himself from her, but then she came in, flopped on his bed like it was hers and wiggled her way back in. He was doomed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And one more chapter. I needed to move it along a little. I'll also update later this week. We need to get moving!

Koshi came in thirty minutes after as scheduled. He was met in the foyer by John, now wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt over his jeans, and standing next to a young woman with brown hair and glasses, wearing a pink hoodie of her own and jeans. She was smiling at him. It took him a moment to realize that it was a wig wearing Rose Tyler.

"What's happening?" Koshi asked. 

John blew out a breath. "Rose decided that she needed some normality, and wants to go with me to the store."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Koshi asked. 

"No, I do not, but she wants to go. I've arranged for a security tail, we'll take the SUV that is in the garage. We should be fine. "

Koshi laughed. "So I'm a decoy. "

They both nodded. 

"Fine, there's a game on. Where's the popcorn?"

Rose pointed to the kitchen. "Cabinet over the stove. Help yourself. "

"I intend to." Koshi answered. 

OoOO

John and Rose went to the garage. She was still limping so he offered his arm. She looked up at him for a second, then took it, finding it much easier to walk with him next to her. 

She climbed into the backseat, where the tinting was dark, then laid on the seat. 

John drove the SUV out of her front gate, and onto the road. Before he could say anything, she was in the front seat next to him. 

"I'm Kate, by the way. "

"Huh?" 

"My code name. I figured if you called me Rose it would be a dead giveaway. "

"Oh, yeah. So Kate, what do you do for a living?" he asked with a smirk. 

"I'm an interior decorator. But my passion is making glass sculptures. But I have to pay rent so I take clients during the day and work in my studio at night. "

He laughed out loud. "You have a back story to your alias?"

"Yes, I also have a cat named Steve who likes to sit in the window and watch me work. I have a dairy allergy, have tried to go vegan, but it didn't work. What else would you like to know?"

"Married?"

"Nope, but I have a sexy friend who takes me places. "

"Rose-"

"It's Kate, and I have to have a story for you to. You're Ivan. You are a metal worker by day, but join me in my studio to weld art at night. "

"Sounds like a porno."

She slapped his arm. "Stop. It's fun to do this. I do it every now and again. "

He smiled. "You're a looney."

John parked the SUV and Rose got out with him. It was interesting, usually when she got out of a car, she was met by fans, but today, no one even noticed. She got a cart and pushed it, making it easier on her ankle. She followed him into the store and into the produce section. 

"So what are you making me for dinner?" she asked. 

He cocked an eyebrow. "Me, making for you? Well, I'm making chicken and vegetables. I don't know what you're having, I guess whatever your chef brings. "

"You owe me dinner, I won the race."

"Did you hit your head when you fell? That was not the bet, and it was a tie. "

"Please? Home cooked meals are so much better than things that are delivered. " She exaggeratingly batted her eyes at him.

"Does that work on other people?"

"What?" She did it again. 

"The uber-flirt. Is that how you get people to do things for you?"

She pouted. "No, but it's in my bag of tricks. "

"Why don't you just ask me again?"

She perked up. "John, uh, Ivan, will you make dinner for me?"

"No." His face grew hard, only to break a half second later. He laughed out loud. "Fine," he said finally, tossing a zucchini in the cart. 

"Ew, but no zucchini,"

"You get two choices: Take it or leave it. "

She giggled, smiling as he also dropped broccoli in the cart. 

The shopping went better than he thought, they were not bothered at all, in fact, no one took notice. He ended up filling the cart with promises from her to cook also. 

John found something as they went. Given this situation, Rose was fun to be with. She wasn't trying to impress someone, she wasn't working, and she wasn't in party mode. In this instance, he could see himself enjoying her company. She teased him, and he teased back. She thought his choice of granola and yogurt was boring, and called him an old man. He asked her if she would prefer Fruity Pebbles, then tossed a box in the cart when she said yes. 

When they made their way to the cashier, Rose got in behind the cart and he in front. They unloaded together. But as she pushed the cart to the front, he saw what she was doing. She pulled out her card. He came up to her side. "R-Kate, these are my groceries."

"But I made you pay way more than you thought. And I'm cooking for you. Don't fight me, Ivan," she said, jamming her card in the slot and entering her PIN. 

The cashier laughed. "Yeah I wouldn't fight her." He took the receipt out of the register and looked at the bottom. "Thank you for shopping with us, Ms.... Tyler." His eyes shot up to her and his mouth opened a little. He knew. 

Rose didn't break her stride though. She winked at him, and put her finger to her lips, silently telling him not to say anything. 

"You're safe," he said quietly. She blew him a kiss and they left. He still stood there, dumbfounded. 

John loaded the groceries quickly and Rose got in the SUV, but no one came. The cashier kept his word. 

John got in and closed the door. "That was close."

"Nah, before you came along that kind of stuff happened all the time. I got around pretty good before all this about the threats. No one usually bothers me. If I'm not being Rose Tyler, superstar, I'm pretty plain."

He scoffed, "You are anything but plain."

She turned to him. "What?"

"Nothing." He pulled out of the parking spot and maneuvered the SUV out of the lot. 

Rose got quiet for a minute. I need to apologize for last night. "

"You already did."

"No, I said I hated you."  
"You remember that?"

"Yes. It was stupid to say that. I was being childish. I guess I was just fighting back after you yelled at me."

He gripped the steering wheel harder. "Yeah, sorry about that, It's not my business to get after you like that. I was just frustrated. I shouldn't have said anything. "

"It's OK, I was being childish. I'm better than that, I don't know what got into me."

"I think tequila got into you." He smirked. 

She giggled to her self. "I suppose. So, are we good?"

"Yeah, but we never were bad, really. I mean I work for you. You were being you and I was doing my job, keeping you safe,"

She sighed lightly. "John, but you're much more than that to me. I consider you a friend too. My behavior was atrocious. That's not me. I don't want you to think that that is all I have to offer. I'm way deeper than that. "

"You mean like an onion? You have layers?" He chuckled. 

"Yes, but not like an ogre. Well sometimes like an ogre. But I want you to know that I'm not a spoiled star. I actually have a brain. "

"I know that, Rose. "

"But you went from being friendly to being distant. I didn't like that. You're my friend. "

“But you have so many other friends. You don't need some old guy."

"First, not old. Second, I have friends, but most work for me. Shareen is the closest, but we can only be together so much. She gets jealous I think. I want her to succeed, but she's only a pretty good choreographer, not a great one. And Bonnie and Jessica, well they have lives too. But you are with me the most. It bugs me that the person that spends the most time with me is not always fond of me. "

John wondered for a moment if maybe Rose had heard him after he had put her in her bed the night before. He decided to deflect. "My opinion of you does not matter." She started to protest but he held up a hand. "But wait. I'm fairly simple. Just don't wander off, do as I say when we are in a dangerous situation, and treat me like you want to be treated. That will make this smoother for both of us. "

"So you don't hate me."

He laughed. "That's the second time you've asked me that. No, you're a pain in my arse, but I don't hate you. I think you are a smart, driven gir- lady. You have a lot more to offer than you show, but you're changing that. It's going to be interesting to see what you put out in the near future. But I think it's going to be fantastic. But my opinion of you shouldn't matter to you."

"But it does. You know, I need the support of the elderly. "

John barked out a laugh as he pulled the SUV into her drive. He said something into his radio. Rose hadn't even noticed he was wearing his ear piece. She was so used to him that things like that just blended in. But it also brought forward that he was always on the job. 

They came back to find Koshi sprawled on the couch, yelling at the game, eating popcorn. John quickly kicked him out, amid protests that he may miss the end. As Koshi was leaving, he stopped. "Oh, John, the infrared is down. There was a software glitch and they had to restart it. It should be up in an hour or two. "

"Anything happen on our end?"

"Nope, but they did an upgrade that all of a sudden wasn't compatible with a bunch of our systems. Damn IT guys. They are so short sighted. "

John grunted and Koshi left. 

OoOoo

John unpacked the groceries, with Rose by his side. “I’m gonna barbecue the chicken if that’s alright. When I put it on the grill, can you make salad? Then I'll sauté up the rest of the vegetables. "

"OK, but I can do more than salad. "

"In know, It'll be your turn tomorrow."

She threw something at him which he dodged, and she took a seat at the breakfast bar to cut up things. 

John came in a little later to start the vegetables on the stove. He checked on them periodically, also starting brown rice. 

Soon the kitchen smelled wonderful. He brought in the chicken and plated all the food, taking a seat next to her. 

John was a good cook. He seasoned the chicken very well, as well as everything else. The meal was nice, she told him about life in the estates, and a few funny stories about early in her career.He didn't say much, letting her talk, but she did notice it. He wasn't a free giver of information. Even back in London when they had been drinking, he hadn't given up much. He wasn't being secretive, but just not saying much. 

After a pause in the conversation, she asked, "You don't talk much about you, why?"

"I haven't much to say. I'd rather observe and gather information about others. They have interesting lives, I don't."

"Um, let me see, you've been in the military, you have guarded big names, you've lived an interesting life. You should share it. "

"When I write a book I'll give you a copy. "

"It better be a signed copy so I can sell it on eBay. "

"Deal. "

They cleaned up from dinner together. When John put the last bowl away, he closed the cabinet to find Rose looking at him. 

"Yes?" he asked. 

"Do you have to work, or do you want to watch a movie?"

"If I'm with you, I'm working, but yes, I can also watch a movie. Multitasker, me. Plus you need to get that foot in the air. I've noticed you limping more as the night has gone on. You need to ice. "

"Let's see what's streaming. "

John settled Rose on the couch, setting her up with ice then going to make popcorn. He came back to find her ready to go, the first Indiana Jones movie cued up. 

"Oh, I like this one."

"I figured you did. I was going to go for a chick flick, but I figured you'd appreciate this more."

"You could have chosen what you wanted. "

"No, we're having a friend's night. You may be working, but at least you can have fun. "

John sat down next to her, reached back and pulled his holstered gun out of his waistband and set it on the far end of the coffee table. He looked back at her look of confusion. "What?" he asked. 

"Why did you take that off?"

"Because I'm about to recline on the couch and I don't want it stabbing me in the back. "

"You still have your ankle one and your bleeding thing, right?"

"Always."

"I don't know why that makes me comfortable. "

"I would be naked without them. "

He reclined next to her, but at a respectable distance. He placed the popcorn bowl between them. 

At some point the popcorn bowl got depleted and put on the coffee table. Also at some point, Rose had moved closer to him and was currently sleeping, resting her head on his shoulder. The problem was, he hadn't noticed, as he had fallen asleep himself. The other problem was that he didn't mind his current situation, at all. 

But it wasn't appropriate, he should not be this close to a client. He felt a phantom pain in his arm, the one with the shiny new shoulder, when he thought about the last time something like this happened. Nope, he needed to distance himself. 

He was still thinking about how to go about trying to extricate himself from his current situation when his phone buzzed in his pocket. That caused him to shoot into the air, Rose landing against the back of the couch, grunting in protest for being woken. 

He opened his phone. "Yes?"

Rose watched with trepidation as he listened. He rang off and looked at her. "There is someone on the grounds. Go to your room, lock the door and put down the security screens. Don't come out until I come get you. Do you understand?"

She nodded and got up, wincing at stepping on her foot, but hustled up the stairs. The last thing she saw was John, resetting the gun holster in his waistband. 

She closed her door then, locking it. He then heard the mechanical sounds of the security screens being lowered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, the cliffie is over! But things are heating up, not all in a good way.

John ran to his room, put his radio in his ear and called dispatch. 

"This is the Doctor on channel 4. Can you update me?"

"When the infrared came back online we spotted a subject on the lot. The subject hasn't moved. It is in the tree line on the west end of the property, approximately 50 yards from the front gate. It is crouching, but definitely human, but not a big person," came the slightly tinny voice of dispatch.

"10-4, I'm going out to engage, the princess in in her castle. How long on my backup?"

"About 10."

"Copy, I'll advise. "

John crept out his bedroom door around the side of the house. He had walked these grounds so often he knew every rock and tree. He also knew how to be silent. He stalked along the wall, not making a sound, getting updates in his ear about the status of the subject and his progress on it. Then he saw it. Someone was crouched against a tree. John leaned in ready to grab, but on the street, on the other side of the fence, a car went by, causing the figure to look up, and make eye contact with John. 

The race was on. The person was small, smaller than John, but quick. But John had been running a lot and had the advantage of knowing where he was going. He reached out and grabbed the back of the intruder's shirt, and tackled the person on the grass before they could get to the house. What he heard next surprised him.

"Ow, Hey!' yelled a voice. It was a young voice. A young male voice. One that had recently been through puberty. John rolled the boy over roughly, pinning his hands to the ground. 

He was met with a pair of the most scared eyes he had ever seen. "What are you going here?" John bellowed. 

The kid shrunk away. "You're hurting me. I just wanted to talk to Rose Tyler."

"Why?"

Tears now flowed from the boy. "I wanted to get her to listen to my tracks. I wasn't going to hurt her."

That struck John funny. Rose could have killed this kid. He smirked, grabbed the kid by the front of the shirt, and stood, pulling the kid along with him. "Well, you're trespassing. The cops are on the way." He moved his hand to the kid's upper arm and pulled him onto the deck by the pool. He then made the boy put his hands on his head while John patted him down. "Do you have any weapons?",

The kid looked down. "No, just a jump drive and my phone."

"Give." John put out his hand and the kid gave him both. He then pushed him down, but not too hard, into a pool chair."What is your name?"

"Cameron. Are you going to have me arrested?" the boy asked, now clearly shaking in fear.

John eyed him. "Well you were trespassing. I have no idea what your intentions were. You're lucky I didn't shoot first and ask questions later."

John watched as the boy stiffened, tears welling in his eyes again.

"John?" Rose's voice came from behind him. She was at his shoulder a second later. Cameron sat up straighter. "What's going on?"

John glanced at her, then back to Cameron. "I told you to stay in your room. You need to listen to me."

She ignored him and took a step towards the boy. John huffed. "He was hiding in the bushes. Says he just wanted you to hear his music."

Rose addressed Cameron. "How did you get here?"

"Uber."

"Does anyone know you're here?"

"No, my mom works early so she went to bed, and I snuck past my dad. "

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

Rose stared at him for a second. John was at her back, not sure how to proceed. His bodyguard sense said to haul the kid off, but with Rose right there,he somehow just couldn't.

"Well," Rose put her hand out, "let's have it then."

Cameron pointed to John, who in turn produced the flash drive. 

"C'mon then, " she motioned them to follow and carefully stepped into the house. John noted that she wasn't limping much, but she may have also been trying not to. Right now she wasn't Rose Tyler, sitting on the couch with popcorn, she was Rose Tyler the artist. 

She called to John over her shoulder. "Can you call off your backup? I think you can handle one fifteen year old."

John grunted, he didn't like it, but knew she was right. Cameron got up carefully and followed her, but his gait indicated that he was still scared out of his wits. 

John spoke into his radio and called off the backup, but took up a stride behind Cameron. 

Once inside, Rose motioned for Cameron to sit at the breakfast bar and she went to the nearby table to get her laptop. She opened it up, plugged in the jump drive, then turned to the boy. "Which track is your favorite?

Cameron held out a shaking hand and pointed to the list that had appeared. "It's called 'It's me'." 

Rose clicked on it and turned up the sound on the speakers while Cameron tried to sneak a terrified peek at John. When he saw John was staring at him, he looked back instantly. 

The track started to play. It was Cameron's voice, rapping with a few singing lines. To John's ears it was torture, but Rose leaned in closer. She was bobbing her head lightly, listening intently. There was a lot of "Check me out," and "I'll fuck you up," "Me and my crew," basically weak attempts at gangster rap, but coming from a skinny white kid. When the track ended, Rose didn't say anything. Cameron fidgeted in his seat, and John laid a hand on his shoulder and Cameron slumped. Then Rose took a breath. "I like what you are trying to do. You have a good rhythm. There are some good things happening. I especially like that part in the middle. Are all the voices you?"

"Yes," Cameron squeaked out. 

"You made this whole thing yourself?"

"Yes, but my Mom said that if nothing happened, I had to stop concentrating on it and get a job. She is sick of me holed up in my room. She want's me to go to college, I don't want to go to college. I want to do this. " His words came tumbling out like he had to get them all out before someone told him to stop. 

Rose turned and faced him. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Who bought your shoes?"  
Cameron looked down at his shoes. "My mom."

She continued. "What did you have for dinner tonight?"

"Um, my mom made lasagna."

"With salad and bread?"

"Yes." There was question in his voice. 

"Do you play sports?"

"Um, I'm on the freshman soccer team at my school." Now he was really confused. 

She smiled. "Cameron, you have a real talent. "

"But..." he started.

"But your words, are forced. You know, or you think you know what this genre is supposed to sound like, but coming from you it sounds weird."

Cameron's shoulder drooped. "I was afraid of that." He moved to get off the stool.

"Hold up." she said. "I'm not finished. Have you ever heard of the Beastie Boys?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Three white guys having fun, making music, and not trying to be gangsters. Do you get what I mean?"

"I guess."

"Ok what pissed you off? What did you get mad about today?"

Tyler thought for a second. "No one takes me seriously. I'm the youngest by three years. I'm the baby after three girls. They think my music is a hobby, just me screwing around. I was right in the middle of recording and my mom came in my room and dropped a laundry basket on the bed and told me I needed to sort my socks. That really cheesed me off. I was working. "

"Ok, what else?"

"My dad yelled at me during my game yesterday. He wants me to play soccer in college like him. But, I'm on the freshman team. They don't cut freshman. I suck. But my dad thinks it's my ticket to college. "

"Hmmm. But overall you have it pretty good?"

"Well yeah, house, cars, family dinners. I guess so. But that doesn't make for good music."

"But you can't use a voice you don't have. I'm not telling you to join a gang, but if you come out with guns blazing, you will be called out in a second. No one will take you seriously. You need to use the voice you have. But when you do, it'll be speaking to other boys your age. They have the same problems. The gangster stuff is cool but also scary. You have a completely different avenue. People will want to hear what you have to say. You just have to be yourself and say it. Get me?"

Cameron thought for a second. "Yeah. I mean, I guess I never felt comfortable with some of my stuff, but I thought that's what I needed to do. "

"Not if you don't want to be called out instantly when someone puts a picture of you in a suit at your middle school graduation on Instagram."

"I get it." He sounded defeated. 

"But on the good side, I like what I hear. You have a really good sound. I'd like you hear you sing a little more. But that's just me. But lyrically, you have a lot going on. I'm not talking content, but you have a way with words. But this is step one. You have a lot of steps to go. "

"So what do I do?"

"You stop stalking me for one."

"Yeah sorry about that. I was desperate. "

"No, I know. But I want you to call someone." She got up and went over to the desk in the kitchen and rifled through the drawer. She came back with a business card. "Here, this is for my friend. He works with young talent. He won't cost an arm and a leg. I think he'll like what you have, if you change it up. So work on your stuff, give it a month, and then call him. I'll give him a heads up that you are doing it. Okay?"

"Thank you." He looked around. "Um, I don't know how I'm going to get home."

"What do you mean?" John asked.

Cameron blushed. "I guess I didn't think it through. I didn't think I'd get this far. I didn't know what I thought."

Rose laughed then looked to John."Call him a car?" she asked. 

John eyed the boy for a moment, then picked up his phone and stepped out of the room. 

Rose listened to some of Cameron's other tracks while they waited for the car. Cameron kept a wary eye out for John, who hovered in the room until it was time for him to go. Then he obediently followed John out in front of the house. Just before Cameron got in the car, Rose gave him a hug. "Now no more sneaking up on people. My guy, he'll help you out. But next time you may not be as lucky. You just happened to catch John here in a good mood."

Cameron looked up to John in terror."That was a good mood?"

Rose nodded as she shut the door to the car. 

After the car pulled away, John turned to her. "Very funny. But you should have stayed in your room. You need to follow my instructions. "

"I was curious. I didn't hear anything, and I watched you for a while before I came out. But I got worried for you."

"You shouldn't worry about me, I'm the one guarding you. You need to stay safe. "

"But who keeps you safe?"

"I do. And I had backup. Rose, this isn't a game. There is a serious threat against you. "

She was quiet for a moment as the walked back into the house. He noticed her limp came back. 

"John? What happens to you when the threat is gone? "

"I hadn't thought about that. I guess I leave you to get back in trouble. "

She was quiet again. "Would you consider staying?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. "

"I mean staying on as my body guard. You don't have to live here, but I've gotten used to having you around. I would hate to have you just gone when this person is caught. "

They had made their way into the kitchen. Without thinking, John had put on a kettle for tea. He didn't say anything right away, instead rummaging around for tea and setting out mugs. When he poured the hot water into the mugs he leaned on the counter. "Why would you want me around? Gallifrey can still do your home security, and you can have me or Koshi at events if you want. I mean I'm kinda a stick in the mud, as you have noticed. "

She sipped her tea. "I don't know. I... I just... Well I suppose I should let this out. John I've been thinking about you and-"

At that moment, John's phone buzzed. He held out a finger, stalling her for a moment and answered it. The deep frown that covered his face as he listened scared her. Something had happened. 

Another second later, her phone also buzzed. She picked it up. It was Bonnie. 

"Bonnie? What's up?"

"I just heard. Rose, someone else got killed. I was there, well not there, but you know that girl, the country singer Jan Jones? Someone strangled her in a closet at her house. Rose, I was there! I had left and was already home, but Shareen called me. When is this going to stop? "

"Did Shareen see anything?"

"No, no one did. Jan had gone upstairs for something, but no one was allowed upstairs, they had security. After she didn't come back down, one of her entourage went to look for her. She was dead. Rose, I had talked to her tonight. She was about to leave on tour. She was really nice. "

"Is Shareen OK?"

"She was crying when she called me. She was in the kitchen when she found out. Then they had so talk to everyone before they could leave."

Rose calmed Bonnie a little more, then rang off to face a very stiff John. "You heard?" he asked. 

"Yes."

"I have some calls to make. You should go to bed, remember to put your foot up. Lock your door." He took the mugs to the sink and turned back. 

"John?"

"Yes?"

"I'm scared."

He didn't say anything right away and Rose wondered if he was scared too but just not willing to say it. 

She spoke again."Who would do this kind of thing? It's not like a crazed fan, it's all over the place. "

"I know. Someone really has a problem with all of you. But I will make sure you're safe. Please do as I say. Can you do that from now on?"

"Yes."

"Good, now go lock yourself in your room. I'll see you in the morning."

"No more movies?"

"You fell asleep on me halfway through," he said, reddening. 

"Yeah, I guess I was more tired than I thought. One more question."

"Hmm?"

"In the morning, will you show me some, uh, self defense stuff?"

"I don't know if it will help."

"But it will make me feel better, please?"

"Sure," he said with a smile, "now go."

Rose turned to go up the stairs. She could see where they had been sitting together on the couch. She smiled. Leaning her head on him had been deliberate. But he hadn't scooted away, even when she knew he was waking. She almost told him too, almost. She wondered if she would have been able to get the words out or how far she would have gotten. She also was not kidding about keeping him. John Smith had been taking a considerable amount of her brain up. She didn't want to see him go.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the late posting, but this chapter needed to be whipped into shape. You will notice a little instruction on bleeding control in this chapter, don't worry, it's fluffy. But this is a subject near and dear to my heart. Feel free to check out Bleedingcontrol.org. for info on classes. It's important, people. 
> 
> But back to the story. We really get the ball rolling here! But then the ball not only falls off the track, it blows up.   
> Please don't kill me.

John was up most of the night making arrangements for heightened security. Whoever this was was escalating their behavior. There would now be someone awake 24/7 in the house, as well as armed security patrolling the grounds. John would keep track of exactly how many people were in the house at all times, and there would be periodic infrared sweeps to double check. There would be no parties and unless she was in rehearsal, only three additional people would be allowed to be in the house. Any household help would have to sign in and out and also check with John. Their shifts were also switched to 10 hours a day from 6-4. After four they would leave. If she wanted to go out, there would be at least two people on her at all times, that included John. John worked hard to be sure that the plan was as simple as possible but yet covered all the bases.

It was late, but he was meticulous in his efforts. He waited for the night guard to arrive, filled him in on everything, and finally climbed into bed about 3 am. 

At seven he was up again to work out. He nodded to the guard in the living room as he put in his earphones and went into the workout room. The last few days had been a mixture of feelings. With music blaring in his ears, he finally was able to think. He climbed onto the exercise bike. He had been trying not to think about Rose, but she crept in. He even dreamed about her. As much as he tried not to, she was the center of his attention, even when she didn't need to be. 

Yeah, she had poor behavior here and there. Yeah, she acted her age, but then there were the moments, when she was working, that he saw the real her. How she had reacted to Cameron had really gotten under his skin. She could have been mad or afraid, but she gave the kid a chance, then gave real advice. She was genuinely intelligent, giving and knew what she wanted. But then again she was just a kid, as evidenced by the dancing on the bar episode. But the more he thought about that, it came to him that she may have been jealous. She had made a comment about that other body guard, what was her name? Oh, Sasha. Yeah, Rose hadn't liked that he had been talking to her. She misbehaved right after that. 

He smiled a little. The mega-star Rose Tyler was jealous of her old body guard. That was funny. She had nothing to fear though. 

But why did he care that she cared? Sasha was not his type. He took in a big breath. Rose was. 

The more he thought through his feelings, the harder he pedaled. Rose Tyler had gotten in his head and no matter how hard and fast he went, she wouldn't leave. He knew this could go nowhere. She would find someone her age. But she had gotten ahold of his brain and was quickly moving to his heart. At that point he was done. He needed to stop thinking about her but couldn't.

His legs were burning, his breaths heavy and fast as he pumped away on the bike. He wasn't paying attention to anything but his rising heart rate when he felt his left headphone pop out of his ear. He jerked his head around, only to see the smiling face of the object of his stress. 

She pulled the headphones all the way off and put one side to her ear. "Metallica?" 

He couldn't help it, he smiled. Just the look on her face, the grin as she started to dance a little to the music, wiped away all his frustration. "May I help you miss Tyler?" he asked, now grinning too. 

"You said you were going to help me learn some stuff. "

He looked down at his now sweat stained shirt. "Well, get something to eat, I need to shower. If I show you stuff, you don't want me getting my sweat all over you. Also Metallica is my favorite to work out to."

"You should work out to my stuff, it has a good beat."

"I'd rather work out to cats meowing," he retorted. 

She slapped him on the arm and left for the kitchen. 

One shower, a very cold one, later, John came out to find Rose chatting with the overnight guard. Once John has come out of the shower, he would leave. John now wore athletic pants and a dry fit t-shirt. Rose stopped her chat, eyed him, smiled then turned to say goodbye to the night guard, who promptly left. 

He smiled a knowing smile at John, said goodbye to Rose, and left. 

She motioned to a big plastic up on the counter. "I made you a smoothie. I figured you hadn't eaten yet."

He wrinkled his nose. "Tell me it doesn't have kale in it. That shit is nasty."

She shook her head. "Nope, just fruit, some protein and some fiber. "

He took a sip. "Mmmm that's good. "

"I know, and I lied, it has kale in it."

He turned on her."What? You lied to me?"

"Yes, I figured you wouldn't eat it. But now you're committed. "

He growled and groused, but drank the smoothie. It was pretty good, but he wasn't about to let her know. 

During breakfast and coffee, John opened up his laptop and showed her the various security measures now in place. He showed her the last infrared sweep as well as what the outside cameras picked up. 

"So they can tell where we are in the building?" she asked. 

"Yes, but also they can tell if anyone is hiding, that's how they found the kid. It's a good way to make sure we don't have any unwanted visitors. "

"So they can see if I'm on the loo?" she asked nervously. 

He laughed. "I suppose so, but you're more of a blob, see? It just did a sweep and you and I are together. We're just a two headed big blob. It's not like it'll catch you squatting on the can."

She slapped him again and he laughed out loud. "Maybe you should just plan your poop between scans."

"John! We are not talking about my poops."

"You brought it up."

"How often do they scan?"

"I think it's about every 15 minutes. Plenty of time to squeeze one ou-" She slapped her hand over his mouth. In doing so, she had to come close, very close, and her other hand wrapped around him to help hold the first one in place. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. 

Rose blushed and stepped back, clearing her throat. "Well, can we get started? I have a voice rehearsal later. "

"Have you picked a song yet?" he asked.

"It's a surprise."She winked exaggeratedly at him. 

"Meaning you can't choose. "

She laughed again. "Well, partially. But really I have a few I am trying, you've heard them I think. You'll just have to wait for the show like everyone else." With that she let go of him and led him to the gym where she normally had dance rehearsal. 

Rose found couple of a padded mats to lay on the hard floor. She took off her shoes and he followed suit, stepping on the mat next to her. "So what do you want to learn?" he asked. 

Ok, first off show me your bleeding kit. I pulled something out of it for you after the fire, but I want to learn about it too."

He leaned over and tore at the velcro that held the kit around his leg. "You helped me with an Israeli dressing. It's a pressure dressing. Also in this kit are two tourniquets, one called a CAT-T and one called a SWAT-T. Also I have gauze for packing wounds, a little felt tip pen and gloves." As he went, he handed things to Rose. He took an orange tourniquet from her. "This is the CAT-T. All tourniquets go on the upper limbs, high and tight. Never on the lower arm or leg."

"Why?"

"Because the two bones on lower arms or legs aren't as effective with the tourniquet." He then proceeded to demonstrate putting it on her upper arm and cranking it. "OWWW! That hurts!" she yelled, smacking him as he turned the plastic windlass to tighten it. 

"Are your fingers getting tingly?"

"YES!" she cried. 

"Well then it's working. Tighten it until the bleeding stops, no matter how much your patient whines."

"John if you don't take this thing off, I'll put it around something you don't want it around. "

John laughed and freed her, laughing again when she shook her hand to get the blood back into it. 

John then meticulously explained all the components of the kit to her. He showed her how to pack a wound with the gauze and when to do it. "You pack wounds in the junctional areas like shoulders, armpits, hip areas." Then how to use the SWAT-T, "Stretch, wrap and tuck." Then finally, "Why do you suppose there is a pen?"

"I have no idea."

"It's simple, to write on the patient."

Rose scoffed, and he smiled at her. "No really. One of the treatments is to keep them warm. If you do that, you may cover the tourniquet and miss that it's there. So you write it on their forehead."

"Well that's scary," Rose said, twirling the pen in her hand. "I hope you never have to use this stuff, especially on me."

"I'd do it in a heartbeat," he said back quickly. 

"I'm glad you would, because I would freak out."

"I doubt that very much, Rose Tyler. I think you would do great in that sort of situation."

"Let's agree to disagree on that," she said, handing him the balance of the kit, which he tucked away and reattached to his leg.

After a moment, he stood again. In the course of learning about the bleeding control kit, they had been inches apart, but neither of them really noticed. But as he stood and they were still that way, they both did. 

Rose cleared her throat. "As far as self defense goes, I know some of the basics, like how to break someone's hold if they grab your ponytail, or just grab you in general. But I need a refresher. How about we start with that kind of thing?"

"Sounds like as good a place as any to start."

John went through a series of holds and taught Rose how to break free. He was instantly impressed with her strength and dexterity. She knew a lot too. The movements made them get close again, him maybe holding on to her a little tighter "for demonstration purposes" and her maybe taking a moment or two longer to get out. But they were having fun and laughed a lot in the process. She was sneaky too, she would wiggle her way out of him holding her, challenging him back. A couple of times she got out of things he never thought she would. 

Finally, after a solid hour he stepped back. They both were sweating and slightly out of breath. "OK, so you have the basics, but I need to know how to get out of a few situations, especially if they knock you down. Ground fighting is underrated but very important."

"OK."

He took her wrist. "So, if I grab you like this and twist your arm," he did, making her face away from him, "Then press down on your shoulder," he pushed her to her knees, "then I can..." Rose twisted back quickly, startling him , she ended up standing, almost face to face with him, both of them breathing even harder. She was so close he could feel her breath on his face. But somehow it was wonderful. His eyes flicked to her lips. They were mere inches apart, John would have only had to...

"OK," he said, releasing her. They both took a step back, collecting themselves. "You know what to do there I see." He lifted the collar of his t-shirt up to wipe off his face. 

"But what if I lose my footing and end up on the ground? I mean I'm wearing heels. I'm steady on them, but they aren't the best for getting away. If someone hit me just right I could go down. It happened with that one girl that was in all the sexy movies. I can't remember her name. A crazed fan knocked her over."

Oh no. 

"You have a point," he found himself saying. "Like I said, ground fighting is important."

"Ok then," she said, sitting down on the mat, then laying down. "Tell me what to do." 

Very oh no. Before he could stop himself, John kneeled down, straddling her hips above her pelvis, placing his hands on her shoulders. This was all business, it was. He was teaching her. "OK in this situation, you want to attempt a roll, so lift your hips, and push me over with your legs. "

Roses tired a few times, to no avail, but then on the third time, she lifted her hips and pushed hard, toppling John over, Rose landing on him, and taking a similar position. Then the fight was on. Both them struggling to get on top. John was going easy on her and she could tell, but as things intensified, he was losing, so fought harder. At last he was on top, staring at her intently, the tingle of her touch left all over him. Rose got a twinkle in her eye, her face lighting with a smirk. 

"Ha!" he said, keeping the pressure on her so she couldn't move. "I've got you now! What are you going to do now, little miss smarty pants?"

Rose's smirk got bigger, then out of nowhere, she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. It was fast, but it broke his concentration, allowing her to flip him over and pin him. This time though, she wasn't smiling. She was on top of him, straddling him like before, but her hands landed on either side of his head, his hands landed on her upper arms. Rose took one good look at him and leaned in, their lips meeting once more. 

At first it was Rose,and John did not move, save holding onto her upper arms just a little tighter. He otherwise was still. 

And then he moved. 

Without prompting, John kissed back, his mouth hungry on hers. He brought out his tongue to caress her bottom lip but when he made contact, she immediately opened it, letting him in. John was an aggressive kisser, and Rose loved every second. Her tongue joined his soon thereafter. Hands also started to move. Hers to his head, his to her sides, sliding up and down, her body now flush to his. 

Then, seamlessly, he flipped her again, never breaking the kiss, him resting his weight on his left elbow as his right hand moved up her ribcage. Rose's hands came down his back, scratching lightly, but landing on his bum. John groaned, kissing her harder. 

She moved under him, adjusting, when she felt his knee come up between her legs, granting him a more secure stance, and pressing her exactly where she wanted. 

They both periodically gasped for air, but then were back at it. Rose had had many a kiss, but none like this. It was if something broke in John, all his pent up passion came rushing out, aimed at her. She pulled him harder against her, feeling his hand as it lightly cupped her breast. She was ready, it was perfect. "Oh John!" she yelled, breathy and needy. Then he stopped. 

OoOooO

It has started innocently enough, just some basic moves to defend her. But then it all went to hell. His shower had not erased how he was currently feeling about Rose Tyler, and feeling her body so close to his didn't help either. He had told himself that ground defenses would be awkward and he needed to finish them quickly, but he had no idea he would have reacted that way to her. When she flipped him the first time, something sparked in him. It as primal, he tried to squash it, but then he was on top, and she kissed him. The shock that brought broke his concentration, also and resolve he might have thought he had. 

Then she was on top again. And he was done. Her lips on his was something he didn't know he was starving for. He was so hungry, and couldn't help himself. She was perfect, their bodies fit together as if they had been made for each other. Her kiss was sweet, loving and intense all in the same moment. He had moved to be on top once more, unable to fight the feeling. He brought his knee to her center because he knew she wanted it, and also to try to hide the quickly growing thickness between his own legs. He had touched her breast and she only wanted more. He was ready. Ready to give her anything she wanted. 

Rose had been ready too, he knew it. She yelled his name and it rang in his ears like a bell. 

But the sound of that bell also woke him from his trance. What was he doing? Not again! The voice inside his head was bellowing, screaming. This could not end well. No, he had to stop. He couldn't put himself through this again. He had promised to never let his heart lead the way again. Only bad things happened when it did. People died. His physical strength did not match the emotional pain that would inevitably come. 

He froze.

He pushed away from her, coming to rest on his knees at her feet, his eyes wide with horror.

She had looked at him quizzically, but then a frown graced her lips. "John, what's wrong?" she asked. 

"I- I can't," he stammered. "Not with you, I can't do this with you. I-I-" He was on his feet and out the door before she could say anything else. Somewhere in the house she could hear a door slam. But then nothing. 

Not with her? What just happened? Rose sat up, skin still tingling from his touch. He had looked as if he had seen a ghost. But then he said he couldn't do it, not with her. 

The sudden shame and embarrassment hit Rose like a hammer. Something was wrong with her. His moments of passion had been interrupted by thoughts that he couldn't be with her. What was wrong with her?

There were no answers, Rose slowly got to her feet, the feeling of dread replacing the desire that had sat low in her stomach. 

The house was empty when she made her way back through, but the door to his bedroom was closed. She hadn’t felt any pain when she was with him, but suddenly she ached all over. Her ankle only was magnified and she found herself limping up the stairs, where she went into her bedroom.

Inside, alone, was no better. She had no answers, she had no way to get answers. His face stuck in her head. That look. The one when he said he could not be with her, hurt like a shot to the chest. 

She knew that kissing him was impulsive, and may not work out the way she had intended, but in the moment, she was thinking that the worst he could do was say no. But he did much, much worse. He rejected her. Not mildly, but massively. 

She laid on the bed, analyzing every moment that had transpired. She went over them again and again, but for the life of her couldn’t find one single moment that had turned the whole thing around. Maybe he didn’t like having his name called? That was hard to believe. Time ticked on and the longer she laid there it seemed the less answers she had. 

Painfully, Rose stripped and got in the shower. Her skin still tingled where he had touched her. And his knee, going… right there… had been bliss. He was a man who knew just what to do, so why did he stop? Did he just realize who he was with, did he get carried away only to see that it was Rose kissing him instead of someone else? Or had he started kissing back just to be nice, but then get repulsed?

Her searing hot shower did not help with any answers, but she stayed long enough to scrub any remnants on John off her skin. She emerged over a half hour later, skin irritated from the scrubbing, but with no better feeling. 

Questions rattled around in her head, one seeking an answer just as another was formed. She was getting nowhere. She had to talk to him. She had to see what he was thinking as painful as that may be. She found clean clothes and put them on, pulling her hair into a hasty ponytail. He had had plenty of time to cool off, maybe they could talk now. 

She carefully opened her bedroom door, listening. The house was silent. She crept down the stairs, noticing that walking was no less painful. When she got to the kitchen, she saw someone sitting at breakfast bar. He was backlit, by the window, but the hairline was familiar. Her heart leapt. “John?” she asked.

He turned and an unfamiliar smile greeted her. “Nope, I’m Phil. John’s gone. He’s been reassigned. “

Rose’s mouth fell open. 

“I was the closest Gallifrey guard when he left. I’ll only be here a little while before your full time guard shows up. I hope I didn’t scare you. “

“No," she said absently. She walked past Phil into John’s room. It was empty. He hadn’t had much in there before but now the room looked sterile. There was nothing on the dresser, nothing in the hamper by the closet. He had left, and he had left fast. 

She turned back to Phil. “When did this all happen?”

Phil looked at he dumbly.”Uh, I got the call about an hour ago, maybe a little less. But I was on patrol on the grounds anyway. “

“Did he say anything to you?”

"Nah, not really, he looked like he had somewhere to go. He briefed me that you were upstairs and then left. I've pulled shifts when you weren’t here before so he didn’t have to tell me anything. “

“Who re-assigned him?”

“Oh I imagine our boss, Sarah Jane did. I thought he was permanently here, but I guess not. We change often in this job. I don’t ask many questions. “

Rose nodded silently, not in agreement, but more so he would stop talking. Slowly she made her way to her room. She was on the stairs when she heard the front door open. 

“Rose? Are you ready?”

Rose turned to see her voice coach coming in. She had totally forgotten. With a sigh, she descended the stairs again. It was time to go to work.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marching forward with a little explanation.

The lesson had not gone well. After a half hour, her coach called it a day, asking if she was feeling OK. She had tried to push through it, but she wasn’t OK, not at all. 

Something had happened. She had thought what they had was good. He hadn’t thought the same. The pain from that wasn’t going away. All she wanted to do was talk to John. But she couldn’t. He had run. So, being in the studio, singing a powerful love song was hard. She couldn’t find her voice or the power she needed to sing. She had finally settled on a song the week before. It was “The Power of Love.” She had loved the song since she had heard it when Celine Dion sang it. She used to sing it with her mother. But she had chosen it for entirely different reason. She had wanted to John to hear it. He had told her that she should sing. His words resonated with her. No matter what he said about his opinions not mattering, they did. And she wanted to show him that she was more than a girl out there dancing. There was more to her, much more. 

The other night, at the party, she had lost it when she saw him talking to that other security guard. She had been leaning way too close for Rose’s liking. If she had to explain it to herself, she was not liking anyone getting that close to him. But not until they were kissing did her feelings totally solidify. For that brief moment she knew exactly what she was doing. But then it was gone, he was gone. 

OoOoOo  
John slammed his bedroom door behind him. No... No. It was happening. He couldn't get Rose out of his mind, then there she was, so close. Her warm body under him. Then she had kissed him. Then again. It wasn't fair, why did he have to fall for her? Why now? Why did his heart do that, totally override his brain? Why could he not meet someone so smart and talented and just let it be? No he had to fall for her. And now he had to get away. 

He grabbed his bag from under the bed and started jamming things into it. He didn't carry much, so it was fast. Then he took his phone and called dispatch to order someone to the house. Then he called Sarah Jane. 

"Hi John, what's the matter?"

"I need to be re-assigned. "

"Come now John, she's a little bratty, but you are doing good work-"

"Sarah Jane..." his voice lost all of its power. 

There was a long pause on the other end. "So it's not her."

"No, it's me. "

"How far are you in?"

"Not at all."

"Have you called for backup?"

"Yes."

"Fine, when he gets there, you go. I'll call you later. "

"Thank you."

OoOoOo

John sat on the back porch of his sparsely decorated condo. He had acquired a folding chair from somewhere, and it now sat on the small concrete slab looking out on the valley below. It wasn't much but the view was good. He sipped his whiskey listening to the birds above. He had started by sitting inside, by the television, though not watching it. But as his thoughts began to swirl, the four walls were beginning to crush in, so he made his way outside, to try to see if it was easier to breathe. It was, but only just so. 

Sarah had talked to him when he got home. It did not go well. She knew his history, and how it nearly killed him last time. She also knew that she had asked him personally to help out that night because there was no one else. She yelled this time, asking how he could let it happen again. He didn't know. Rose just snuck in. But no one died this time. Well no one and a half. 

John blew out a breath and closed his eyes. He could still hear the screams. Thinking about it brought back the pain too. He rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly. The screams weren't hers though. When he was able to drag himself to her, she was quiet. She looked at him, tears in her eyes, but said nothing. The tears fell when her eyes closed and she was gone. No, they were gone. Their baby, a scant 10 weeks along, was gone too. The man that said he had made her a star had also taken her life. The coward shot from another building. She never had a chance. 

The trauma had drawn John to become quiet, reserved, and intent on saving as many more as he could. But they had to follow the rules. Many had, and they had lived. Monk had not. He hadn't thought Rose would either. But then she started to and it was good. Then she came to him on the night he had chosen to mourn the love of his life and his good friend. She came in and sat with him. They laughed, and he saw that she was a good person, a great one, intelligent and kind. From that moment on, it was hard to resist Rose Tyler. 

Who would have thought that someone else could find a place in his heart? When he and Romana had started to be together, he had been reassigned. He couldn't guard someone that he wanted to be looking at all the time. But that night they were short staffed. So he went to keep her safe. But all night he had to force himself to tear his eyes away from her. Maybe if he had torn his eyes away a little sooner she may have lived. 

He knew he had to stop beating himself up. It wasn't his fault. The guy had gone to great lengths not to be seen. John had his hands full on the ground. But then his voice came booming down and everyone looked up. John stepped in front of her but the shot rang out. If he had taken it in his vest she might have lived, but he took it in his shoulder. It went right through like swiss cheese, tearing it's way into her chest. 

Rose wasn't Romana. Sure they had similar traits, driven, talented, but they were two very different women. Rose wasn't replacing Romana, but she was filling a void for him none the less. He knew he was in trouble, but thought he could fight it. Then she kissed him and it was all over. 

Now he sat, hoping the whiskey would drown out the thoughts. It wasn't doing a very good job. He sat outside until far after the sun had gone down, mourning Romana, mourning Rose, and wondering if he would ever be able to just do his job and not have his stupid heart take over his brain. 

His phone laid dead on the carpet next to his couch. It had died after many, many texts. Koshi, Sarah Jane, and others had texted. The only ones he read before he deleted them were from Rose. She simply asked what happened and wanted to talk to him. Then she apologized. Then next morning, after he had stumbled to bed at 2 am, he charged his phone. When he read her texts, he threw his phone against the wall, smashing the screen. 

OoOoOo

The next day Rose got up with a terrible headache. She, unlike John, hadn't had a drop to drink other than calming tea and that didn't work. Her brain played pinball with her thoughts all night. She didn't really sleep. After Tylenol, she called Jack.

"Hello there!" he sung into the phone. "How's my favorite girl?"

"I want to change the song," she said simply. 

"What?"

"I want to change the song for the show. I can't... Can't sing it. "

"You have to. I mean, we hired the orchestra. They began rehearsal yesterday based on your recording. Rose, honey, what's the matter?"

"I-I changed my mind."

"We both know it doesn't work that way. There're contracts involved and we've paid for rights. I'm sorry honey, but we're locked in. "

Rose was quiet. 

Jack took guess. "Rose, was maybe the person you were singing it to- out of the picture?"

"Um, what do you know?"

"I got a call from Gallifrey security. They were notifying me that John Smith is out as your security lead and that Koshi guy is in. Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened. That's the problem. I had... fallen for him. I know it's stupid, but for once in my life I was liking someone who was good. Good for me and everything. I thought he felt the same. But not so much I suppose. He ran out like he was on fire. He won't return my texts, he read them though. Am I that repulsive?"

"On no Rosie, you are far from that. You're beautiful. "

"You're paid to say that."

"Agreed, but truthfully, you're a catch. So few girls have what you have. Talent, wit, beauty, drive, you have it all. "

"I think you said it though. "

"Oh?"

"Girl. John saw me as a little girl and I acted like it. He yelled at me once about it. "

"He yelled at you?"

"I mean yes, but not how you think . I was being horrible, it as the night I sprained my ankle. I saw someone flirting with him and kinda lost my mind. A few shots later I was dancing on the bar and you know the rest. But after he picked me up and I was being terrible. He yelled at me to act my age not my shoe size. He was right. I do act like a little kid sometimes. I see it now, if I'm gonna turn this into a career, I'm gonna have to grow up. "

"You're not wrong, Rose. You're making changes already, I can see it. I'm proud of you! But we can't change the song. But with any luck he'll never even know it happened. "

"I hope so. "

OoOoOo

John's feet pounded a brutal rhythm down the beach. His legs were screaming, his lungs burning. He reached the pier and stopped, flopping into the sand, not able to take another step. He sat there a while, listening to the birds in the early morning light. 

His workouts had been punishing for days, but they had just begun to scratch the surface of his guilt. He had hurt Rose. But he had done it to save himself. He couldn't take the grief of even the possibility of losing another person that held his heart. Of course she was everywhere now. The media reported again and again that she had something special for the awards show. He had to hand it to him, Jack did his job. 

He wouldn't watch, of course. It would hurt too bad. He had been looking at flights to London. He may go back, look up some old friends, do some work at Mrs. Frames house, maybe even stay long enough to let her take a holiday. Rose had paid him well. He could easily stay in the flat he kept in London indefinitely. 

He took another deep cleansing breath. He would book a flight when he got home. 

He eased himself to his feet, now feeling the run in his knees. He checked his (now repaired) phone. It was eight o'clock. Maybe he'd hit the diner on the way home for some breakfast. In his hand his phone began to ring. 

He made a face at the familiar number, then swiped to answer. "No," he said, putting it to his ear. 

There was a chuckle at the other end. "How did you know I was calling to ask something?" Sarah Jane's voice laughed in his ear. 

"Because you are you."

"John I need you."

"I said no, I'm on...sabbatical. I'm going back to London for a while."

"When did you decide that?"

"About 30 seconds ago."

Sarah Jane paused. "John, we're stretched to the limits. These threats have everyone freaked out. "

"I don't want a new client. "

"I know, but I'm calling in a favor. He'd the son of a big wig at one of the studios. He wants protection, and I have no one else. Just covering R-, some of the people, is draining all our resources. "

"You can say her name. "

"I know, but anyway, we don't have anyone else. They're paying premium and they only need you. "

"What have his threats been?"

"Um, nothing actually. The threats have all been for music folk, no actors. But I get a sneaking suspicion that this guy wants protection because everyone has it right now. He's not even a major star. He has a part in an ensemble cast tv show and just got a part in a movie. He says he wants to be a rapper though. But his father gives him what he wants. So they are paying double your rate. After this job you'll be able to retire in style, and go be a potato farmer or whatever you want to be. "

John laughed. The pain in his abdomen from his sore muscles made him realize he hadn't laughed in days. 

"Fine, I'll protect the entitled brat. It's not like I haven't done it before. "

"You know that that last statement wasn't entirely true. "

"True enough."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sarah asked. 

"Nope, I'm done, and there's no question in my mind that she has moved on. I'm just a blip on the radar, a passing fancy. So no, I'm good. Onto the next."

Sarah rang off, not believing him for a minute. 

OoOoOo

Rose had her first rehearsal with the orchestra later that week. After a full run though it was recorded for radio and download release as a single. She had to admit it was good. It was very good. Anyone else would have thought that something this good would be a guarantee of a new career direction. But to Rose if felt like a hollow victory. She also didn't have someone to share it with. Jack was around, but busy, Bonnie had just gotten a job on a movie set, Jessica was always working, and then there was Shareen. 

Shareen, her oldest friend had gotten quite mad when she called Rose asking if she needed to help choreograph anything for the awards show. Rose had told her about the new direction she was taking, and that she was happy to hang out with her, but didn't see needing her in the immediate future. Shareen had not taken it well. She never did when Rose took steps forward in her career. When they were at odds, it made Rose wish back to the days when they were kids, working on their group together. It had been so much fun, but stressful too. When Rose started to pull away, Shareen and her mother got awfully mad. It wasn't until Shareen showed up in LA that they started to rekindle their friendship. She always had a soft spot for her old friend, but just wished she could be happy for her rather than jealous. 

As the busy days passed, the sting of John's rejection faded, but the sadness of losing him only weakened. She missed having him around. They ate together a lot, worked out, even just sat and talked. He was opening up little by little and she cherished every bit. She kept replaying their kiss, how passionate it had been. But doubts crept in. He had been so passionate, but what if that was because of some primal trigger rather than lust for her? Maybe when he realized just who he was with he had to put on the breaks. The more she thought of it, the less convinced she was that anything that had happened was intentional. Yet she still felt that they needed to talk. If for no other reason than to get the story straight. After the awards show she would do just that, even if she had to camp out on his doorstep. She may be a brat, but at least she was a persistent brat.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Another chapter? What can I say? I'm a giver. I also have a busy weekend ahead and I'm trying to wrap this baby up. So what's on tap? Exposition mostly. But it's building. You'll see why.

John met Julian the day after he talked to Sarah Jane. She was right. The kid was just that, a kid. He met John and went on for an hour about his career (which John came to find out was next to nothing) and all his followers. He said that he had recently felt unsafe and needed protection. He insisted that John come with him everywhere. The first night they drove around for three hours trying to find a party or club that would let him in. Either no one knew him or knew him but didn't like him. He even tried to get into a party that some of his fellow cast members were in but couldn't. When he finally did find one, a party at a huge mansion with little security, he got minimal attention, but ended snogging a very drunk girl of questionable age and then going upstairs with another one entirely. John waited downstairs, watching, being asked a million questions from an increasingly intoxicated group of young people with entirely too much money and entirely too little common sense. 

Finally he waited outside in the front garden area, still able to hear the sounds of the music pounding and the occasional hurling sound from unfortunate partygoers. 

Julian found him hours later, stupid drunk, wanting to do home. He seemed in a hurry. What John didn't know, was that Julian had found out that the girl he had taken upstairs had only been 17. 

As John drove the now passed out man-child home, he thought back. Rose had been difficult, yes very difficult, but in the twelve hours he had known Julian he wanted to strangle him. Rose had a habit of redeeming herself. He could see from day one that she was a hard worker and very concerned that she did things right. He had a very strong feeling that Julian was nothing like that. 

He couldn't help it. He missed Rose. She was on the way up. She had a steep trajectory but a very solid base. She was going to be big and stay big, mostly because she had the intelligence and drive to do what she wanted how she wanted. He hit his hand on the steering wheel. He wished he had met her under different circumstances. Maybe if he wasn't charged with keeping her alive he may have been free to fall in love with her. But then maybe she wouldn't have even given him a second look. Maybe it was because he had to keep her safe she fell for him. The knight in shining armor. He was hardly that. More like a peasant in Kevlar. No, he was right. As painful as it was to break it off, Rose was better off without him. She would find someone as talented as her, someone without truckloads of baggage that could love her for her and not feel the need to protect her every move. 

Julian gave a snore in the seat next to him and John reached over and poked him. John was turning into the drive of Julian's house. "Wake up sleepyhead, I'm not carrying your arse inside," he growled. 

After he parked he woke the boy again and made him stumble inside. Where they were met with a very unenthusiastic housekeeper, who took Julian upstairs. Then John locked up, called dispatch and left. 

OoOoO

Two days later, John was driving Julian home from a lackluster meet and greet when Julian whooped in the seat next to him. Julian, like always, wasn't wearing his seatbelt. He never did, he didn't like how it wrinkled his clothes. John stopped asking him to do it after warning him that if he died, John refused to take responsibility. 

"Hell yeah!" he yelled. 

John didn't even react. The kid's emotions ran like a pogo stick and it took John exactly ten minutes to decide not to react to him. 

Julian had looked to John to get a response, but his phone rang. "Dad!" he yelled, after swifing at his phone. "Yes I got the email! I'm so stoked! Can your stylist come over today with tuxes? I don't want to wait. Who do you think wants to dress me? Well tell her to come over later. Ok, bye."

Julian turned in his seat to John. "Well Security John, it looks like you've got a job to do," he said smugly, "I just got invited to present at the BeeBop awards next week. I guess someone must have heard my demo and know I have chops. "

"Or someone cancelled at the last minute and they are scrambling," John countered. 

Julian gave him a dismissive wave. "I've sure it was the demo. My dad's been shopping it around. It's only a matter of time before it hits." He put his head down, ostensibly reading the rest of the email. 

John smirked and shook his head. The kid was so dumb he didn't even know when John was ribbing him. Another reason to miss Ro-

"Oh! And guess who I get to present with? None other than Rose Tyler! Yes! She's smokin' hot! And I hear she's a partyer. Oh bet I can tap that!"

It was instant, John stepped on the brakes a little to hard, Julian pitched forward, hitting the side of his head on the dash, it wasn't hard, just very, very satisfying. 

"Ow!" Julian wailed. 

"Sorry, there was a squirrel. It wouldn't happen if you wore your seatbelt."

Julian just grumbled beside him, rubbing his cheek. 

OoOoOo

After John dropped of his charge, he called Sarah Jane. "Hey, do I have to go to the BeeBop Awards?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, I got an email from Julian's dad about them. John, I have no one else. Every single one of my U.S. based guards will be there. Every artist there is protected. We are going to have to have an onsite dispatch to cover all of you guys. It's insane. I'm sorry, but you have to go. I know Rose will be there, but there will be so many people around you'll never see her. You know how it his backstage at those events. "

"Sarah, I left that in kinda a mess. Me being there will not be a good thing for her. I also may need protection. "

"I'm sorry John. But you're stuck. Just stick to the shadows. She'll never even know that you're there. But now that I know you are in too, there will be a virtual meeting since no one can really be together at the same time. I'll email you the link to it with instructions. I'll talk to you then." She rang off. 

John drove back to his condo. He needed to either workout or have a drink. He decided to work out, but it was a close battle. 

OoOoOo

On the outside, Rose looked the picture of composure. She hit all her spots in rehearsal, sang beautifully, and engaged in polite conversation as needed. But inside she was a wreck. 

It wasn't every day that an artist changed genres. Oh sure it happened, and with different levels of success. She was unsure about everything, her voice, her song choice and even the dress she and Bonnie had picked. But it was too late for all of it. The dress had been altered and it was too close to the date to change it. At least Shareen came to her senses and offered to help. She and Bonnie would be there with Rose on that night, helping her get ready, change from red carpet gown to singing gown then into her presenting gown. There was a lot going on and she was grateful to have them there. 

She was so flustered and anxious that she didn't even see John arrive with Julian when she met her co-presenter at the dress rehearsal. Instantly she hated him, especially the way he blatantly looked her up and down. He looked like the wolf in the cartoons that was whistling at the pretty girl. Rose wanted to punch him in the face. But she hurried through their bit together. She would sing her song, do a quick change and come right back out to present with him. It wasn't the optimal situation, but it would allow her back on stage for an encore of sorts, even though she just would be presenting. 

John made a good effort not to be seen by Rose either. He knew exactly where she was at all times. That was one good thing about being in security, he was always very aware of his surroundings. 

He had a near miss though, Shareen came around the corner holding a huge bag that must have been Rose's dresses. She didn't see him either as she struggled stiffly under the weight of the load and hurried into one of the dressing rooms where John could see other dresses hanging on the rack. He didn't want to stick around and get a preview of Rose's. The night would be hard enough seeing her in it.   
OoOoOo  
That night just past midnight, another threat was found. This one came as a comment on a preview clip of Rose singing her new song. It said," ROSE TYLER WILL DIE. SHE WILL DIE IN HELLFIRE FROM ABOVE!!!"

As soon as Sarah heard, she called Koshi, who had Rose go into lockdown in her house and the entire property was searched, but nothing was found. Because he thought he needed to know, Koshi texted John, who had already been contacted by Sarah Jane. Everyone was nervous going into this show. It was supposed to be the turning point of her career, John just prayed it wouldn't be the end of it too.   
OoOoO  
The day of the show Rose was a wreck. Shareen offered up a shot before they left the house, but Rose refused. She also wasn't planning on going to the notoriously crazy afterparty. In the days that John had been gone, Rose had done a lot of thinking. It was time for a change and that night was the beginning. 

OoOoOo  
John fidgeted in his vest waiting for Julian, who was always late. But John had the kid down, he started telling him that he needed to be ready at least a half hour before he really did. The kid was none the wiser and got to where he was needed mostly on time. Except when John couldn't wake him. One glass of water poured on his face fixed that though. Julian had threatened to fire him, and John was more than happy to oblige, but Julian knew that John was most likely his only chance at getting any security at all. 

So now John stood in Julian's kitchen, a room that was never used and thought about Rose. The layout of the kitchen was a lot like hers, and he thought of the meals they had shared and how she still owed him dinner. He shook his head. Not the time to go there...

For the hundredth time he checked his ankle holster and his shoulder holster and bleeding control kit. They all were fine, but he was nervous, so he checked them again. He decided to wear a bigger jacket to wear the shoulder holster. He hadn't known why he had chosen the slimmer fit jacket in London with Rose, but on that night he didn't care if his look wasn't as stylish. 

Julian finally came strolling down, popping his lapels. "Well here I am, a man about to be seen by zillions and adored by all," he said. 

"But you still look like a kid dressed in his father's clothes," John remarked back.

"I'll have you know this tux is from Paris, flown in especially for me. "

"Whatever you say," John said back, knowing full well that the designer had brought about fifteen tuxes over and was desperately trying to get anyone to wear them. John had heard Julian's father's stylist on the phone. He shook his head, as he did frequently. This kid had no idea the level of delusion he lived with daily. 

OoOoOo

Koshi stood in Rose's kitchen waiting for her. He was on the phone to dispatch. "Yeah, I'm good, we'll be on the road soon I think. What channel are we all on? Ok, how many of us are there again? Twenty three? Really who did we add? Oh John, that's right. I haven't talked to him. Yeah, cool, I'll see you there, bye." Koshi heard a little noise behind him and turned to see Rose ready to go, her incredible sky blue dress shimmering in the light. "Hi, Rose, Ready to go?"

"Did I hear you say John was going to be there?"

Koshi paused. "Um yeah, he's been assigned to the weird kid, I can't remember his name, the guy who's presenting with you."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. Oh shit, I heard something went down between you two. But I'm sure he'll keep his distance. Do you mind me asking what happened?"

Rose looked down and smoothed her dress. She looked back up at him just as the doorbell chimed. 

"That must be your ride," Koshi said, heading towards the door and motioning for her to follow. Bonnie joined them a few seconds later, Rose's makeup box and beauty things in tow. As they all out to the car, Shareen pulled up in hers. "Sorry I'm late!" she huffed. She looked flushed but was dressed for the event. "I had a last minute kink to work out with some choreography. But I finished in time." She came and gave Rose a big hug. 

All three girls oohed and ahhed, about each other's dresses and makeup and such and Koshi herded them into the car. Soon they were on their way. Rose sat near the front with Koshi, and Bonnie and Shareen near the back. The latter two were quickly engaged in opening champagne and giggling. 

Rose leaned to Koshi's ear. "To answer your question. I misinterpreted John's opinion of me. I thought, ah... I thought he liked me. Things got... A little heated and he ran like the house was on fire. I haven't seen him since. "

Koshi leaned to her ear. "Did you guys kiss or something?"

Rose blushed. 

"Oh, John, not again," he said, leaning back. 

"What?"

"Did he ever tell you about Romana?"

"I mean a little bit. He was in love with her wasn't he?"

Koshi chuckled. "No, they were in love with each other. He guarded her at first, but they fell for each other. It was his first job doing this and let her get close, then fell for her. He had been reassigned but had been asked to guard her one more time because half of our staff got the rotavirus. We had no one to guard her. "

"Oh, that's sad."

"That's not the half of it. They were in love, he hadn't been her personal guard for months. When they started to see each other, he begged off and I took over. He was getting a house ready for them. I mean, this was real, Rose. But it gets worse, she was pregnant with their child, ten weeks along. No one knew until after. John was devastated. But he was also recovering from a terrible injury. He focused on his rehab, and then moved to the states with me. "

Rose sat back in her seat, eyes welling up with tears. 

"Oh, no you don't!" Koshi whispered, pulling out a handkerchief and gently blotting her eyes. Rose glanced to Bonnie, who would have killed her if she saw it, but she and Shareen were currently dancing in their seats to something they were listening to on a shared set of headphones. 

"Koshi, that's terrible."

"I know. John isn't hard to understand when you get right to it. He likes women who are strong and smart, like you. You're not another Romana, so it's not like he has some weird fetish or something, but I could see how he was falling for you. It was the little things, like how his eyes followed you even when they didn't have to, how he talked about you, and how he was meticulous about your coverage. Normally that is the job of dispatch, but this time John did it himself. All of your security was his doing. I would get emails from him at three in the morning. He was dedicated to you."

"Then why did he run? He opened my texts and never replied. He just disappeared. "

"My guess was that he didn't see Romana in you, but saw the same situation. He didn't want it to happen again. He thinks he missed something with her, he didn't, but he thinks he did. He cares about you but I'll bet he thought that if he got that close to you it would happen again. It nearly killed him the first time. He couldn't bare anything happening to you. Overall he's a simple man. He knows that he couldn't be with you, and I imagine he'll tell me something about you turning into a massive star and him not wanting to hold you down."

"Doesn't he want to keep me safe though?"

"Trust me, yes, oh my God, he texts me constantly now, making sure I cover all the bases. I know what I'm doing but he has to have a hand in it. Even though he can't see you. I'm sorry it had to go down like this. But the threats against you, he knows they're real. I mean people are dying. He's afraid if he gets too close he'll miss something again and he'll lose you forever. "

She thought for a second. "Koshi, I have to talk to him. I want to make this work. I like him too. But we're both too stubborn to have said anything about it. "

"I don't think it's a matter of like, Rose. John is meticulous about everything, including relationships. You must have impressed the shit out of him again and again for him to take notice. Heck he's guarded Victoria's Secret models without blinking. No, you somehow cracked the shell. It's not an easy task. "

"If it's not like, what is it?"

"It's love. "


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, here we go. Please be sure that your seatbelts are on, your tray are up and locked and your seat backs are in the up position. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

The sight of the awards show was mayhem. Well, controlled mayhem, but crazy none the less. Julian walked the red carpet, joined by his attention grabbing father. John had to bite his lip several times to not react to the response, or lack there of. His father would almost push the boy into spaces just vacated buy actual stars, only to have the photographers turn to someone else. Finally John was able to herd Julian into the venue where he would sit until called backstage. John took up his seat next to him, taking in the others seated around him. Everybody looked important, whether is was self important or real. No one talked to Julian. 

Once everyone was seated the ceremony began. John had seen Rose some in, Koshi at her side. She looked ravishing. He had to look away, afraid that the intense weight of his stare would make her turn her head. She looked beautiful though, if not a little nervous. She was looking around at the crowd but at the same time not trying to be obvious about it. He saw her chew on her bottom lip periodically, a sure sign that her brain was working overtime. He wanted to go to her, wanted to tell her she was safe and everything was going to be alright, but there he sat, next to the bonehead of the century. Telling himself that Rose was better off without him at the moment wasn't working. 

OoOo

As the show began, John watched with mild interest, keeping his eyes moving throughout the theater. He had given the place a thorough going over when he had been there before and noted several areas of issues. First, the stairs to the lighting rigs were far too accessible. The lights were hung not only from the ceiling on catwalks that stretched from one side to the other, but also came in at angles from breaks in the side walls. He had been assured though, that security would be watching everything and only granting access to those areas with proper clearance. He also noted that there were a few unsecured doors in random places, that, if a person knew where he or she was going, could lead to the stage. He was also assured that they wouldn't be a problem. On top of human security, the entire place was swept before the event by dogs, and they would have them sweep continuously throughout the event. Still he was concerned though. The chaotic nature of backstage lent itself to problems that may not be detected. He had some measure of comfort knowing that Gallifrey had a strong presence that night. He knew at least his people would keep a close eye on things. 

Rose was seated near the front, where the cameras would catch her frequently, and John and Julian were farther back. But at his angle John could see her clearly. He couldn't help but stare. Rose Tyler was one of the most beautiful creatures ever created. The funny thing was, like this, all glammed up, was not when he considered her the most beautiful. It was when he saw he working. The hair that fell onto her face when she was concentrating, the pull on her bottom lip when she was thinking, or the bright tongue touched smile when she was truly happy or had created something was when she shone the brightest to him. It was the Rose Tyler, artist and creator, that he had fallen for, not Rose Tyler the polished entertainer. 

He was broken from his reverie by a jab in the shoulder by Julian. "John, we have to go." John looked up. The show was well under way, and an usher was standing by them to take Julian and him back stage. John had zoned out for at least twenty minutes. He shook his head and got up, following the usher and leading Julian to the back. 

He glanced briefly at where Rose was, but the chair was empty. She had been gotten too, he hadn't even noticed. 

OoOo

Backstage was what best could be described as organized chaos. They had been taken back in plenty of time before Julian was presenting and he was currently trying to use his sort-of stardom to get the phone number of an uninterested model. In the mean time John went for a bottle of water, keeping Julian is sight, but also trying to blend into the background. He stood against a back wall, leaning his shoulder to it, facing his charge. He sipped the water, watching Julian fail miserably at talking to anyone who he could get close to. If it wasn't so sad it would have been funny. 

"John," came a sweet voice from behind him. A voice he knew very well. He took a breath and turned, taking in the whiskey brown eyes of Rose Tyler. She had changed into the most magnificent deep blue dress, with a fitted bodice and a long skirt, covered in a sheer fabric that shone even in the lower light of backstage. 

"Miss Tyler," he acknowledged. 

"Can I talk to you?"she asked, her eyes beseeching. 

He remained stone faced. "Is there something the matter? I can call Kosh-"

She grabbed his arm, her face turning to one of determination. "No, drop the formal crap, John. I need to talk to you. Don't make me make a scene."

John nodded curtly, glancing back to where Julian hadn't moved, but was still not doing any better. He took a few steps out of the main flow of the area and into a corridor where they were relatively alone and turned to her. 

"What happened?" she asked in a whisper.

He didn't answer. 

"John, what happened to us? We were a team. Then you, know, then you disappeared. What did I do?"

John scrubbed his hand down his face. He looked around, they would be coming for Rose any second. "Rose, it may sound cliché, but it's not you, it's a me thing. I- can't put myself in that situation. You're fantastic, and will continue to be fantastic, but me, I'm not. You being with me is a mistake. You have so much more ahead of you. "

"Don't give me that shit, John. Koshi told me. You're afraid that getting involved will get me hurt. I have to tell you that I have never felt as safe as when I was with you. And I want to continue to be with you."

John waited a tick for someone to pass. "But you know that can't work, Rose. I'll be bad for you, both for your security and your career. I'm just a passing fancy, a situational crush. I'm no good for you. I can only bring bad things. "

Tears pricked Rose's eyes. "You're wrong. I'm not just kid, I know what I am doing and I know what I want. I want us. You can't tell me you didn't feel it too. "

He didn't answer. She looked up at him hopefully. Then he gently shook his head. "You need to forget me Rose Tyler. I can't bring anything to your life. Please just forget me and move on. "

"Miss Tyler?" an insistent voice popped up behind her, "It's time for you to be onstage. I'v e been looking for you. Please hurry."

Rose looked back to John, her eyes about to spill with tears. "I can't forget you, you mean too much. Please listen to the song."

"What?"

"Listen to what I am singing." She turned quickly, following the stage hand, leaving John in the corridor.

John took a second to compose himself and walked out. Julian was in the same place, but now alone. He had effectively driven anyone else away. He gave John a frown. 

John walked up and addressed his charge, "I need to check something out, don't move."

"What if I have to move to talk to someone?" Julian asked with a smirk. 

"I'll shoot you."

Julian gave a dismissive wave. "Whatever." But then he brightened when he saw someone he knew, who was trying to get away, but Julian walked a few steps quickly to him. 

John grumbled and went to the side of the stage. Koshi was standing there and nodded to John.   
"What was that all about, you taking Rose away?" Koshi asked. 

John raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you saw that did you? I thought it missed your superior observation skills."

"Oh I knew exactly what was happening, she told me to get lost, but I figured she would be at least relatively safe with you. "

John grunted.

"She's in love with you."

John grunted again. 

"And you with her."

No grunt that time. 

"What do you think about the new threat?" John asked, blatantly changing the conversation. 

Koshi blinked, but knew he had been pressing his luck anyway. "Um, I don't know. It's pretty specific. But whoever it was dropped several new ones in the same day. He even started on some new people. I'm not sure if you knew that. But anyway, whatever the threats, he sure is keeping us paid." 

John's eyes were roving again, talking stock in the situation. "Yeah. Do you think he's being literal?"

"You men the hellfire from above crap? No, maybe just dramatic. What's he gonna get, a fighter jet?" Koshi scoffed.

"Yeah, I know. SO what's your situation tonight? Did Rose bring her entourage?"

Koshi nodded. "Yup, Bonnie and Shareen. I'm surprised Shareen is here, she and Rose had a row last week. Something about Rose's changing genres or something. Rose pays Shareen a lot so if she stops dancing so much, it could be bad for Shareen. She can't seem to keep other gigs very well." 

Grunt. "You certainly get into the drama."

"Oh they're funny. I like them all. Bonnie gave me a haircut last night, do you like it?"

"I'm not answering that."

Kpshi smiled. "My biggest problem right now is locating Bonnie and Shareen when it's time to go. Bonnie keeps popping up, but I lost Shareen an hour ago. It was weird, we couldn't find Rose's dress, the performance one. Finally Bonnie found it stashed in a closet in the big dressing room. It was in this weirdly huge bag, all stuffed in. Then they made me go find a steamer to get the wrinkles out. "

"You're turning into a girl."

"Eh, whatever, being a girl may be fun."

"They don't just play with their boobs all day," John said, his eyes dancing around, observing. 

"Damn."

Overhead they could hear that the commercial break had ended and Rose was being announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce Rose Tyler!" Music swelled from the stage and Koshi and John, in unspoken solidarity, moved to the wings. John glanced to Julian who had given up trying to make friends, but he was being briefed by one of the stage managers. Maybe they shouldn't have stood where they did, but John and Koshi weren't moving. It looked like they were working, but only one of them was supposed to be. John watched her as she took the microphone as the introduction to the song began to play. He stood there watching her prepare to sing and seeing her out on that stage struck him as odd. She as out there all alone. After all the prep, all the measures in place, she was out there by herself. 

John's brain began to race. Hellfire, hellfire from above. Fire? Or maybe bullet fire? From above, what did that mean? He immediately looked up. There were technicians up there, they had been for the whole show, adjusting lights and such. 

The song began and he felt Rose's eyes on him, though when they met his, they moved to the crowd and the cameras. 

Next thing he knew, her voice filled the auditorium. "The whispers in the morning, of lovers sleeping tight, are rolling by like thunder now, as I look in your eyes. I hold onto your body, and feel each move you make. Your voice is warm and tender, a love that I could not forsake. Because I'm your lady, and you are my man, whenever you reach for me, I'll do all that I can..."

Rose's eyes had met his again before she looked back to the audience. John's heart nearly stopped. It was as if she was reaching into his soul. She was singing for him, to him. He swallowed hard. He forced himself to concentrate. Hellfire, from above. His mind started working a million miles an hour. He turned to Koshi. "You vetted all the grips, right?"

"Yes, well Gallifrey did, but I met them all. " 

"And nothing abnormal has happened."

"John, there are a thousand people here. I have a hard enough time keeping up with Rose, not to mention Bonnie or the disappearing Shareen. "

Shareen. The last time John had really seen her, she had a black eye. Not only was it a black eye but a perfectly round one. Could that have been a scope bite? He had gotten one while shooting at a weird angle during training. The scope had left a huge bruise on his eye, and he was mocked endlessly by his peers for it, but was it possible that she had one? She had been working with and around everyone who had died. He wanted to doubt it, but at the same time his stomach was clenching. His gut was speaking. 

But there was no way she could have gotten a gun in here, let alone a big one. He remembered seeing her struggling with a bag. Oh no. He hit Koshi, "Look up, look around, it's Shareen, she has a gun. She's up somewhere."

The men broke apart, both looking up and all around. A stage hand grabbed John before he stepped on the stage. Rose was still out there, vulnerable. But her voice, as he looked, filled his ears again.

"We're heading for something Somewhere I've never been. Sometimes I am frightened But I'm ready to learn Of the power of love -"

Her voice swelled with the music and John could hear the crowd on its feet cheering, then up above the crowd, one of the riggings was moving, he could see the lights swaying a little. Then a shadow. "THERE!" he bellowed, pointing, and Koshi looked up and was off in a flash. 

Rose was belting out her last notes, her voice filling every inch of the auditorium and John's head as he ran for her. His sudden movement caught her eye and she looked at him horrified, but knew. She didn't sing the very last note, because as he got to her, the first shot rang out. John went down, tumbled, bringing Rose with him. He was hit in the right shoulder. He covered her with his body as the second shot rang out, finding purchase on his right leg. He rolled, still on top of her, pulling his weapon from his shoulder holster with is left hand as he took a shot in the chest. He howled out, but kept looking up. His chest was on fire and he could barely move. But he was looking, he had to see where it was coming from. The lights were so bright, blinding, but there was a shadow. It was an impossible shot, but to John it looked like an elephant. He fumbled a second, his own blood sticky on his fingers, and shakily held up the gun, taking aim. His shot was true, with strength welling up from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. He squeezed the trigger twice before he saw someone fall. Then his head hit the stage as he slid off Rose. 

OoOoOo

The shooting stopped, but the screaming did not. People were frantic, running everywhere, but Rose heard none of it. John's weight slipped off her and she scrambled to him. There was blood everywhere, but specifically squirting from his leg. Without thinking, she went to his ankle, ripping the Velcro holding on his bleeding kit. Hands grabbed her shoulders, attempting to pull her back, but there was no way she was not going to let this happen. With trembling hands she pulled out John's tourniquet and wrapped it around his upper leg, pulling it tight and twisting the windlass, John growled loudly at the tightness, but she kept up until it stopped bleeding. She was covered in his blood but didn't care. She crawled up to his forehead, still holding the kit, now removing the gauze and felt marker. John's eyes, wide with horror, met hers. "Rose-"

She leaned forward, reaching out, but for his forehead, writing "T" on the skin with the marker. Then without another word, she opened the gauze, and started to pack it into his shoulder. He grunted again. 

"Miss Tyler! We need to get you to safety!" shouted a voice. It was one of the Gallifrey guards. Rose looked up at him. "I'm not moving. He's bleeding. "

A second later Koshi landed next to her, gently trying to take her hands off of John, and replacing his over the one she had on his shoulder. "Rose, "I've got this, go with him." He motioned to the guard. Rose didn't move. "Rose, I've got this, really. We need to get you out of here." Rose reluctantly let go, letting Koshi take over pressure. She looked at John, reaching out for his face.

He caught it with his good hand. "I'm OK, you can go, you're safe now," he ground out. 

"I don't want to leave you," she cried.

"You don't need me anymore, it's over. Go be fantastic." He laid his head back down as hands pulled Rose away. She let out a sob as she was led off the stage. Medics ran in as she got to the edge of the stage. She knew he was safe for now, but that made it no easier to walk away.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, my dears, the aftermath.

John, despite losing a lot of blood, stayed conscious until he was put under for surgery. Hours later he was brought up to his room in the ICU. All told, he had to have an arterial repair in his right leg, with significant damage to the muscles, but the bullet only grazed the femur. The bullet to is chest, though painful, didn't penetrate the vest, but caused both heart and lung bruising, Lastly, and most painful by far, was the brand new right shoulder that John now had. After being in recovery, he woke up quickly, he was briefed by both his vascular surgeon and orthopedic surgeon. Both said he was lucky to be alive. 

Now being wheeled in in his large bed, John met the eyes of Koshi, waiting in the room. 

"You look like shit," Koshi said. 

"Thanks, " John retorted. He wore a nasal canula in his nose for added oxygen, and had both his right arm and leg propped up with pillows. He had dark circles under both eyes and his skin was still pale. Lastly he had an IV in his forearm with the tubing taped to his skin. Moving him must have been a challenge with all the added things attached to him. 

Of course Koshi had a casual bored air about him. "So what's the damage? You took forever. I've been waiting for you since went into postop. I thought you'd never get here."

John snorted. "I'm so sorry I inconvenienced you, I was busy. Let me tell you why. My leg is shredded, but the bones are intact, shoulder is new just like my other one and my heart and lungs are bruised. But I'm glad to see you're doing ok."

Koshi laughed. “My job was easy. You shot her. I had just gotten up there when she fell. She's dead. I don't know how you did it, but you got her center mass. She never had a chance. She was dead before she fell. "

John looked away for a moment. But he didn't get long to think, he was quickly inundated by nurses, settling him in and hooking him up to the wall oxygen, fussing over his IVs and such. Koshi just waited patiently. 

Then, finally when everyone left. Koshi spoke up. "I imagine you need to sleep. But as you get closer to being a cyborg, you may need less and less. "

John wasn't looking at him. "What happened with Rose, did you tell her it was Shareen?"

Koshi leaned on the wall and sighed. "Yes, I collected Bonnie and all Rose and told them when we got in the car. She was devastated. She had no idea. They both cried all the way back."

"I figured. Have you talked to her since?"

"I stayed at her house giving her updates until they finished with you. Then I took her to the airport, then I came here. She had me call for her plane. She's enroute to London. All she wanted to do was see her mum."

John's eyes widened. "Why didn't you go with her?"

"You said it yourself, she's safe now. But Gallifrey in London will meet her. But the threat has been mitigated. The cops went to Shareen's apartment. She did nothing in the way of concealment of evidence. I can't believe it. All the shit was on the table, pictures on the walls. Notes to herself about who was next, the whole bit. I guess she had written all over the walls themselves. She was proper crazy. I got all of this from Sarah Jane. She has a friend that is a detective. It's wild. But I'll have the detectives in to talk to you before too long. They can tell you more."

"All this happened when I was in surgery?"

"You were in there for hours. We could have had another ice age while you were in there."

OoOoOo

John's plane landed in London a week later. He wasn't chasing Rose though, he was there to recover. Besides, there was too much pain there now. He even effectively pushed her out of his normal thought process in order to concentrate on his rehab. That had been almost more painful than the injuries themselves. But if he didn't do it, he couldn't focus. He knew London was the right place to be. The physiotherapist that got him back working after his last new shoulder was there. And he needed to be home. It wasn't that he had family there, but it was London. He might be able to get his head straight. Or so he hoped. 

John had been watching the news since after the surgeries. There wasn't much else to do. There were many news stories, video and everything. He had seen it fifty times. Rose was over him, saving his life. That's what the news said too. She saved him. They broke it down they showed it in slow motion, they also broke down Shareen's life, trying to dissect it, see where it went bad. No one had an definitive answer, but there was tons of speculation. Rose didn't give any interviews, choosing to remain tight lipped. Jack put out a statement saying how unfortunate it was for the situation to have happened at all and asked for people to give Rose plenty of space to recover. At least the news was kind to her, calling her a hero. That didn't mean that she wasn't followed by people, but it looked like she didn't get out much, or if she did no one could find her. Of course all the publicity made the sales of the single go through the roof. That made John happy. That meant she was doing well. 

Meanwhile John started physio. The process was slow. He wasn't even allowed to move his arm at all for at least four weeks. He had to wear a huge sling all the time that had a big foam block against his body to hold out his arm at the correct angle. In addition, he was slow to get up on his feet, the damage from the bullet taking a long time to allow him to bear weight. The flight over had been hell, and not advised by his doctors, but he was able to afford a first class ticket and he was able to travel by wheelchair. 

Three weeks after the surgery, four weeks after the shooting, John was at his flat. He had had it for years, one of the good things about Gallifrey was how well he was paid. He owned homes both in London and LA. Neither was big, but both were well equipped and comfortable. 

He was in the kitchen, sitting at the table, eating the dinner he had delivered, when there was a knock at the door. He groaned. Getting up was hard. He slowly rose, only to have the person knock again. "Hold on!" he yelled, using his cane and making his way over. He got there, slightly out of breath, and opened it, only to meet the smirking face of Koshi. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" John growled.

"What, aren't you happy to see me?"

"No, not at all. But I can't fight you off right now. I'm going to sit down, close the door behind you. " John turned and limped to the couch and flopped down. "To repeat myself, why are you here?"

"I'm in town, visiting a friend." 

"Or..." 

"OK, my ex has decided to burn me at the stake, I'm here for damage control. But tonight I'm here to take my friend out for a pint. "

John shook his head. "Sorry mate, I just barely got back on my feet. I'm not walking far yet. "

"I have a car, and my mate owns the place, so we can park close. C'mon John. You need to get out of here. You're starting to look like the couch."

John hadn't been out at all, Koshi was right. Little did his friend know that the physiotherapist had been urging John to get out a little to fight cabin fever. "Fine, I'll give you an hour. Then you bring me home. I have physio in the morning. "

OoOo   
The place of Koshi's choosing was closer to John's flat than he thought. He must have driven by it a hundred times and never seen it. A sign outside indicated that there was live music that night. Inside was bigger than he had anticipated. It sat about two hundred people easily. "How did I not know this was here?" John asked. 

"What your superior powers of observation never picked this place up? " Koshi teased,"I've done some work for the owner while I was still in the service. You know, bouncer stuff. He has different themes and can get quite a crowd. It's early now, but it will fill up. He gets a lot of local acts, bands, comedians, magic. They are on different theme nights.Today I guess he has live music. I should bring you on comedy night. He even gets big names trying out new stuff. "

"You were lucky to get me out tonight, don't push it." John was moving slow for sure. He had a heavy limp even with the cane and wasn't able to move his shoulder at all due to doctor's orders. He should be able to soon in physio though. He was ready. Even though painful beyond words, physio got him out of the house and meant that he was moving forward. He had no plans yet. He could retire if he wanted and live comfortably, but he wasn't sure if he was done or not. One thing for sure, if he did guard anyone again, it would he some stogy old man. He was done with the youth of the world. 

John made his way to a booth at the back of the club, settling painfully in. 

"You alright?"Koshi asked. 

Through gritted teeth, John answered, "Right as rain, you?"

Koshi looked at him a second before going off for the aforementioned pints. 

Once settled in, John was fine. Koshi ordered some pub food and John was actually doing alright. When he was seated his leg didn't ache nearly as bad. It was better daily, but only infinitesimally so. He knew the process of recovery was long, and he done it before, he knew it was only temporary. 

Now fairly comfortable and being fed, John didn't mind that the entertainment started. The first act was a young man, about eighteen. He played the guitar and sang quite well, but John could see that he was there to gain confidence. But he covered two popular songs, as well as moving to the piano for "The Piano Man". 

The music was good enough for John to not mind that Koshi had gotten another pint for them. After being so intent on recovery, it was nice to relax. He knew he needed to get out more often, but it hurt so much that he was very limited. Tonight was different, it was effortless. 

The second act was terrible. It was a thirty something man in a plaid shirt, jeans and boots, trying to sing country. He had a small accompanying band. But the experience was an assault to the ears. That was when John learned that bad acts had their lights turned out and microphones turned off. The crowd, that has grown steadily, booed until the act left the stage. 

"Oh, that's harsh, " John commented. "So are you ready to go? I'm getting tired. "

"Oh can we stay for the next act? I heard they're great."

"Koshi, no, I mean it'll struggle to get home now. I need to go. Thank you for all the food and such, but I need to get back. "

Koshi wasn't moving. "Trust me, you need to see this then I'll take you home, I'll even carry you in if you want. "

"Koshi..." John started, but the lights came up again to revealing the owner of the club. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a treat for you tonight. Here at Mulligan's we have a history of bringing you the best of local talent, and this is no exception. But we also have a first. This is someone who is not on the way up, but already there, who has decided to bless us tonight with some of her new material. With no further ado, I give you the one and only Rose Tyler!"

John's heart stopped. He hit Koshi with a death glare. "What the fuck?"

Koshi just smirked back at him. 

Rose walked onto the stage to the applause of the crowd. She blinked in the light, smiling brilliantly. From behind her came a young man John had never seen before that made a beeline for the piano and sat down. Rose went to the microphone stand and adjusted it. She looked out into the crowd, smile firmly in place and John froze. John recognized that smile. It was her crowd pleasing one, the one were she was mildly nervous, but excited. 

"Hi, I'm Rose," she said, garnering giggles from the crowd. "I guess some of you may have heard of me." More laughs. "I'm trying some new stuff and I thought you might like to hear it, I've had some of these songs for a little while, I suppose I had a good muse. But as per usual, things happened, you may have heard about them. " More laughs. "So I found myself with a lot to say. Luckily I had a lot of pens. Somehow I got it mostly together and put it to music. So here it goes."

John's heart was beating so hard he swore the whole room could hear. He knew what was coming. 

She nodded to the piano player, who started the intro. 

John shifted in his seat and Koshi faced him. "If you leave now she'll see you, you're not exactly stealth."

"You set me up," John growled. 

"No, not exactly. I texted her and told her I was in London and we talked." Koshi said in a low voice. "She said she was doing this sort of thing. But she doesn't know you're here. This is all you, my friend. Choose your own adventure." With that, Koshi got up and swiftly left. 

John was trapped. Koshi was right. It would be an effort for him to get up, arrange himself then limp out. She would see him for sure, even in the low light of the back of the club. No, he would have to stay put until she was done then try to slip out. 

Rose began to sing. "Our life together so far was at a run,  
We never even stopped to have fun,   
But you were there for me when I needed you,  
But you have no idea I was there for you too."

John listened with rapt attention. She finished one song and went into another. She had written songs about their time together. Not only had she written songs, but she had written very good ones, and in very little time. It had only been about a month from the shooting, including his week long hospitalization. Maybe had she been working on things before that?

He sat, not moving, as she sang her set. Each song was better than the one before. He couldn't have moved if he had wanted to. This girl, not even knowingly, had him wrapped around her little finger. And there she stood, singing about how he left her when she wasn't in danger anymore, but how she felt like she had lost it all. It tore at his heart. Suddenly everything came pouring back. How he was falling for her, how she made him happier than he had been in years, how she was such a fantastic person, loving and fun and fun to be with. It hurt, it really hurt. But she had something special. She would rocket to stardom. She would find her way without someone broken like him. She needed something he couldn't give. She needed someone like her, a star, not a broken soldier with volumes of tragic backstory. 

Raucous applause erupted when she ended her set and she bowed slightly, then introduced her accompanist. The lights came up slightly and John was able to wiggle out. He painfully got up, grabbed his cane, intent on milling with the crowd and leaving before she saw him. She didn't need him as a distraction now, and after he killed Koshi he knew that he needed to be sure he was completely out of her life and her out of his. It was the best thing for her. She needed to not even know he was there. 

But as he was waiting for the crowd to clear a little to let him out, his eyes made it back to her. She was signing autographs. She wore a true smile now, her nerves dissolved. She laughed once, then again, and John again was paralyzed. He missed her. That laugh turned his insides to jelly. He took a step towards, her, then stopped. No, it was a bad idea. She needed to move on. Another step. He needed to stop, but she drew him to her, even without knowing he was even there. 

The crowd was thinning, he needed to escape if he was going to do so unnoticed, yet there he stood. Rose hadn't seen him yet, as she was concentrating on talking to people. 

He needed to go. Rose adjusted to talk to someone else, putting her back to him, and he eyed the door. This was the time. He forced one step then two towards the door. It was not easy as his leg had grown stiff. He was almost there when he felt a tickle at the back of his brain. She had laughed, but it was tight, he recognized it as her uncomfortable laugh. 

His head whipped around. Her back was still to him, and she was backed up against a table. There was a man, much larger than her, leering at her. Even from behind he could tell by her posture that she was not good. Before he could stop himself, John made his way back to her. If he had been slow going into the place, he wasn't any longer. He made it to her in mere seconds, positioning himself just a few feet behind her, carefully casting his cane aside, and making eye contact over her shoulder to the brute currently facing her. 

The man was talking. "You know, a girl of your stature shouldn't be in this part of town at night, maybe I should see that you get home. "

"I'm alright, thank you, I just have to-"

"I'm serious, you never know who may be out ther-" the man stopped, blanched, and stepped back. Rose just stared at him. The man took another step back, then hurriedly said, “Well anyway, thanks for the performance. I'll buy your album when it comes out." He glanced back up at the murderous gaze of John, still behind Rose, before absolutely bolting for the door. 

Rose whipped around, facing him, questions on her face. But then her expression went blank. "John?”

“I think you may need a body guard,” he said, giving her a shy smile. 

Rose launched herself at him and though painful, he allowed her to hug him awkwardly around the sling, but only for a second. 

She stepped back, now nervously tucking hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s OK, I’m just damaged merchandise at the moment, so my hugging skills are lacking. “

“Are you OK?” she asked, recovering, but wrapping her arms around her waist. 

“Getting better everyday. That’s why I’m here… in London. I’m working with the same physio guy I had the first time. “

“You look good," she gave him a hopeful smile. 

He shook his head lightly. “You're lying, but so do you.”

She stepped closer. “I missed you, John. You didn’t return any of my texts. Koshi had to keep me updated. I was so worried about you.”

“I know, but I didn’t know what to say. Then I had to focus on getting better.”

They both looked at the floor. 

Then Rose looked up at him. ”Why are you here, John? Wait. Koshi. He must have figured it out.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have known. He kidnapped me. “

She fiddled with her hair, eventually tucking it behind her ear. “So you’re not here under your own power. Let me guess, you were sneaking out when you saw a damsel in distress.”

John was silent. In reality his leg was throbbing and he needed to get home. But he stood there, face to face with her. “I’m not going to lie.” 

Rose blew out a breath. John looked around him, grabbed his cane where he had left it and dropped into a chair behind him, sighing audibly. “Rose, I didn’t think this was the time or place for a reunion. I’m a mess. If I was to ever see you again, I didn’t want to be limping and be all wrapped up. This isn’t the me I’d want you to see. “

“You mean the one that is showing the after effects of saving my life? The one that literally took three bullets for me, fired by my so-called best friend, then killed her before she could kill me?” She pulled a chair so that she was facing him. “This is the you I need to see. “

Her intense stare made John look away. He cleared is throat. “Your songs tonight were amazing. Did you write them all?”

“Yes.” 

“They’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“Are the all about us?”

“Mostly. I mean the inspiration was there, and my therapist thought it would be a good way of working through my feelings for you.”

His eyes met hers again. “You have therapist? Because of me?”

“Well not entirely because of you, don’t take all the credit.” She smiled, getting a little grin out of him. “I needed to talk to someone. I mean my best friend tried to off me on national television, and the man I… he got shot and almost died because of it all. He almost died on me. Then the media has been a circus and everything. I needed someone to help me sort that out. “

She looked back to him.

His blue eyes now caught hers. "You saved my life, I never thanked you for it. Thank you. “

“You don’t have to thank me. You saved me first. Besides, it was the right thing to do. And you taught me well. “

He huffed out a laugh. 

“Last call!” the bartender yelled across the room. Causing them to both stir. 

“I need to order a car,” John said, pulling out his phone. 

“Oh no you don’t. I’ll give you a ride. It’s my turn to make sure you get home safe. “ 

John couldn’t argue with that. He nodded and tried to get up, but it was hard and the chair was closer to the ground than he thought. Rose was standing in front of him, holding out her hand. He reached out with his good one and took the help. She stood next to him, helped him straighten his sling then handed him his cane. 

“Shall I sling you over my shoulder?” she asked, “I hear that’s an effective way of removing people from clubs.”

He laughed. “I’d like to see you try. I’d crush you.”

“Maybe, but I’ve been working out. I most certainly could beat you in a footrace right about now.”

“A turtle could beat me in a foot race about now.”

She laughed and for the first time, she heard her genuine laugh. It was the one he knew, the real one, and he couldn’t help but smile back, causing her to blush furiously. 

He turned and started making his way to the door. As he went though, he felt something. There was a little hand pressing lightly on the small of his back, guiding him. Now he knew what it felt like. The security of having someone at his back, in case he struggled. It felt really good, and all the doubts, all the feelings that he had to run from her disappeared like a puff of smoke.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you say we wrap this up? Last two chapters! I hope you like them!

Rose had a black SUV that he easily slid into. They didn’t talk much as she drove him to his flat other than him giving directions periodically. Though he felt compelled to talk and react, he was more tired than he had been. Physically it had been a busy day, and emotionally it had been worse. Rose seemed to notice this and gave him space. 

Finally she pulled up in front of his building. “Can I help you up? “ she asked, putting the car in park. 

“No, this is the easy part. Plus I don’t want you to see all my pants strewn all over the place. “

“I highly doubt you have pants everywhere. “

John smiled lightly. He had to move, to get back to his flat, but he just didn’t want to. He could tell Rose was struggling too. 

He cleared his throat. Silence stretched between them.

John was hurting, a lot. He knew he needed to leave. On top of physical pain, it pained him to go, but the tension in the car was getting to be too much to bear. “I, um, think I should go." He didn't want to, but she hadn't moved. The stalemate was agonizing. It was as if neither of them had any idea what to do next. "Maybe we can meet up again when I'm doing better, if you can."

She shook her head mournfully, "I can't. I-"

John broke in, "Ok then," he said, trying to sound strong as his heart all but exploded in this chest. He reached for the door and opened it. 

“Wait!” she yelled, making him freeze, but not turn back. “John, hold on. Let me finish. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t. They booked me in a studio, in Paris. It was Jack’s idea. He thought it would be inspiring. I leave tomorrow morning." The words tumbled out in a rush. 

John turned back with a weak smile. “That sounds great. I know it’ll be a great album. Shoot me a text when you’re done if you have time. We can get coffee or something. If you want.” 

“I’d like that. John, in about three weeks I’ll be back. When I get here, Jack is planning a concert for friends and family. Can you come?”

The smile dropped from has face.“To work? I don’t think I’ll be ready to-“

She laughed. “No silly, as my guest. I hired Koshi to work. I mean he’s not the best, but he’s OK. “

John smiled, relaxing them both. “Yes, I’ll come as your guest. Just have Jack give me the details and I’ll be there.”

“Promise?”she asked, bringing her thumbnail to her mouth and starting to nibble. 

John knew that move. She was nervous, uncertain. Even now, without seeing her for a month he was amazed at how he could read all her mannerisms. “I promise.” He reached for her hand, gently pulling it from her mouth. His hand rested on her arm for a second before he retracted it. 

Rose followed his movement then looked back up at him. “Can I call you, John? I’d like to see how you’re doing, you know, talk like we used to. I miss that." 

He smiled again. “I’d like that. I've missed that too. You still have my number?”

“I do.”

“Great.” 

Their eyes were locked again, until John moved uncomfortably in the seat, his hands coming to a rest on the cane that he had between his knees.

Rose sighed. “This shouldn’t be awkward.”

“I know. I suppose it shouldn’t.” He took a calming breath. “I just don’t know where we stand. So much has happened.”

John felt shifting next to him. Rose moved first. Without warning or any sort of preamble at all, she leaned in, pressing a sweet, chase kiss to his lips, then pulled back frozen now, her whiskey brown eyes appraising him.

John's eyes searched her face for a moment. Then nearly as swift as her movement, he leaned back to her, landing another kiss that lasted just a little longer, his hand making its way to the side of her head but only for a gentle touch before he pulled back. 

He breathed deeply as if clearing the air. “I have to get back,” he said, almost apologetically. 

“I know, but I have one question.”

“Go for it.” He smiled at her.

She smiled back. “Is there something here? I mean, am I barking up the wrong tree? I know what happened to you. But I can’t stop thinking of you. I mean obviously, I wrote all those songs. I have about five more too.”

“I never knew I could garner so much material.”

“You have no idea. So what do you think? Do we have something? At least something to work towards?"

He nodded slowly, his eyes back on his cane. “I think that earlier this evening I wanted to run away, to leave you to be a mega star. But then I thought again and I don't know if I can keep going without you. I think we should take it slow, but you’re not the only one that can’t stop thinking about the other. I just don’t write songs.”

Rose blushed, leaning in once more, and kissing him again lightly. “Then go now, but know I’m not done with you.”

“Deal.” He reached for her hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it before sliding out of the car with a barely veiled grunt. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye John.” Rose waved as he shut the door and she watched him limp into the building. 

OoOoOo

The first text from Rose came early the next morning,"Heading to Paris, Arrivederci!" 

John:"Bon Voyage. Have fun singing about me."

Rose: "I always do."

The next day Rose got a video from John. It was him stuffing his sling in the trash. "Ha!" he exclaimed. "Goodbye you piece of shit!" Then he smiled a big goofy smile in the camera. "Hi Rose, just taking care of the rubbish."

Rose sent him a video of her recording, then stopped to stick out her tongue at the camera. 

It went on like this day after day. They talked occasionally, but Rose was really busy. She was also on vocal rest a lot. A rendition of "The Power of Love" that she had recorded before the incident came out as a single and was shooting up the charts. Then one of the songs John had heard at the club was released, and people started to talk. He heard her songs, those two specifically, on the radio frequently and developed an annoying habit of texting her whenever he did. 

But there contact grew even more frequent as they got closer to her return. One night, around midnight, John's phone began to ring. He had been in bed reading. It was a facetime call. 

He grabbed it and swiped it open. "Rose? Are you OK?"

A very tired Rose showed up on the other end, smiling, but clearly exhausted. "Yeah, just tired, everyone wanted to go out tonight to a club. Bonnie's here, my mum and Jack. "

"Did you have fun?"

"Honestly, no. I had been going at it since eight this morning, and would have rather stayed in and had take out. What did you do tonight?"

"I stayed in and had take out," he laughed.

"See? That's what I want to do!"

"You'll be home soon. "

"I know, two more weeks. Does that mean you'll have me over for takeout? Can we watch movies and do boring stuff?"

He straightened up and grinned at her. "Boring is my specialty."

She brightened too. "I would love that. Did you hear I'm going on tour?"

"No, when?"

"A few weeks after I get back. It's a ensemble tour. Three other ladies, all the same genre. It's supposed to be a," she made air quotes," 'Powerful Woman Tour'. They had a fourth lady, but she got sick and backed out. So I'm in. I can't wait. I mean these ladies are incredible. "

John saw her eyes light up, and smiled at her enthusiasm. "Sounds great. I'll see about getting tickets. "

She was quiet for a moment. "I want to be home, John. I miss you. I feel like we just barely got to start and we got pulled apart, well again. "

He leaned loser to the phone camera. "I know. As soon as you come back, we'll have chips at my place."

"You have no idea how wonderful that sounds." She yawned. 

"Well Miss Tyler, time for you to go to bed."

"OK, take care, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams." He closed the call.   
OoOoOo  
In the days before her London concert, beyond hearing details on where to be and when, he hadn't talked to her at all. She was finishing things in Paris, and when she got back to London, she was in rehearsals daily as well as doing press for the upcoming tour. He got an occasional text but that was it. In the mean time he was working really hard in rehab. It was painful and slow, but he was getting there. 

Soon the night of the concert came. He had gone and gotten fitted for a new suit just for the occasion. When he pulled in the parking for the venue, he was surprised to see that it was packed. So much for friends and family. 

He managed to avoid the press mostly by just walking quickly through the crowd, trying to hide his limp so as not to call attention to himself. He had been able to move pretty well now without his cane and was happy to give it up. But just as he approached the doors, someone stepped abruptly in front of him, causing him a momentary stumble. As he straightened up, the eyes of a microphone toting reporter met his. "You must be John, the body guard who saved Rose Tyler and then the one she saved in turn. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you," he answered hastily, still edging towards the door. 

"We've heard the new music, is there truth to the rumor that you two are together?"

John balked. He had no answer for him. He was still waiting to see what would happen, and certainly didn't have a definitive answer. "Well I suppose you'll have to listen to the songs." With that, he went inside. 

John was instantly recognized and seated in the front row. Jackie looked up, then jumped up and gave him a hug, kissing him, much to his dismay. "Hi Jackie," he said when she let go. 

"How are you then?" she asked, still very much in his face.

"I'm doing just fine, and you?"

"I mean, is everything working?" she looked him up and down. 

John reddened, taking his seat, if nothing else than to put distance between them. "Yes, mostly. I'm doing much better."

"Well that's good!" Jackie answered, only to be tapped on the shoulder by another person, who then got the whole of her attention. John settled in, only then seeing that Bonnie was on his other side. 

"Hi John," she said with a sweet smile. 

"Hi Bonnie, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I mean still reeling from it all a little. I'm glad Rose had had this to focus on. "

"Me too, it has to have been rough. "

"Oh, but when she got here it was worse. "

"Oh?"

Bonnie leaned closer to his ear. "Shareen's mother went off the deep end. She was running around her estate screaming. She called Jackie and Rose and threatened them, finally she was arrested, but I think they committed her. I mean she was always teetering on the edge of craziness, but this pushed her over."

"Oh, that's really sad. " John looked away for a second, feeling a little guilty that he wasn't there for Rose, knowing full well that he couldn't have been, but guilty none the less. 

"Yeah, it happened really fast though. She went bonkers and was in custody in the span of about 12 hours. "

John shook his head, It never should have happened at all. Of course he had been cleared in the shooting. He had finished all his police interviews while still in the hospital. Gallifrey had paid for a psychologist to visit and talk to him too, but she found that John harbored no bad feelings about it, but saw it as a means to an end, part of his job. He had enough empathy to know that it was unfortunate that a life had to be taken, but he also knew that had he not done what he had done, at least one life would have been lost, maybe many more. He stopped the threat. He did his job, and that was that. 

Still, it hurt to hear the aftershocks. The whole thing was senseless, born of jealousy. But had it not happened, he wouldn't have met Rose. 

Things had changed so drastically since the first day when he carried her kicking and screaming from the mosh pit. Now he sat there, waiting for a concert to begin, so excited to see her again that he could barely stand it. She had changed so much, or maybe she hadn't. Maybe the maturity he saw was always there, but she chose to show it. It certainly looked good on her. 

The concert started shortly thereafter. When the curtains opened to huge applause, there she was, no opening act, no band around her, no dancers, just her and a piano with accompanist. And she was smiling down at him. 

Of all her smiles, this was the one he loved the most. The one that was from ear to ear and lit her eyes. It caused her cheeks to pink, and her tongue to barely poke out the side. It was the smile that melted his heart, and she was doing it right for him. He couldn't help but smile right back, somehow making her even brighter. 

The music started and John's ears were filled with the most incredible sound, Rose Tyler, singing, about him, to him. He could have sworn the angels themselves were singing, but he knew better, mostly because she was looking right at him. At that exact moment, he knew what was happening. He had fallen completely and totally in love with Rose Tyler. This wasn't lust, it wasn't like, it was full blown, head over heals, no holds barred, love. And he couldn't have been happier. 

OoOoo

The concert had been a mix of Rose with a piano accompaniment, some she played herself, and then some more traditional backup with guitars and drums, as well as some symphonic backup. All in all it was... Well he didn't exactly have a word to describe it. Fantastic? Incredible,? Nothing seemed to fit. All he knew was that after her second encore and subsequent standing ovation, he and the rest of the front row were hustled back stage. 

It was a bustling area, people coming and going, security, friends family, all gathered around Rose, but she had changed into a little black dress. John waited patiently, she needed her time. She glanced up and saw him a few times, giving him a smile and letting him know she saw him. He eventually wandered over to the food tables for a soda. 

Rehab had been tough over the last weeks, most likely made worse be his desire to get better fast and his proclivity to go too far. He had ditched the cane weeks ago, but still had a bit of a limp that his therapist didn't know would ever go away due to the damage done. John worked every day to prove him wrong, but hadn't yet. His shoulder was coming along nicely. After he had tossed out that damned sling, he moved along quickly. He still couldn't lift much, but he was getting stronger and allowed to do more. He had been told that if he was a normal person that needed a shoulder replacement he would be further along, but because he had to have his second shoulder blasted to oblivion, it would take longer. His therapist did point out though, that now that he had both shoulders replaced, they would have to move onto hips next and asked when he would have those shot out. John had just flipped him off in response.

John stood there, occasionally being approached for a handshake by various people, including Jack. But generally he stood there. He had lost track of Rose after some celebrity that he vaguely recognized came over and gushed over him. John scanned the crowd for her, when he felt the undeniable feeling of a small, smooth hand, slipping seamlessly into his from behind. He turned and saw her, only to have her pull him into a hug. He dropped a kiss on the top of her hair, and before he could say anything, a cheer erupted from all around. 

Both of them blushed as she leaned up to his ear. "Wanna go? You owe me chips."

"Don't you have to stay?"

"Nope, unless you want to. The party associated with all this is tomorrow. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I imagine they'll all end up somewhere, but I want to see you. Is that ok?" She was looking up at him, her brown eyes, tugging at every inch of his heart. 

"I think that would be fantastic."


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah here's where we earn our rating!
> 
> Thank you for joining me on this journey. I wasn't anticipating this being as long as it was! It just kept going, and I was merely a servant. 
> 
> I have one in the pipeline Ten/Rose, with Torchwood. It'll be out in a little while. See you soon!

Rose still wore the little black dress and also wore sky high heals to greet people after the concert, but John noticed she had a bag slung over her shoulder. John led Rose out the back door and right to his car. Of course the press had a field day. A few even attempted to follow, but John lost them easily. His security training was certainly good for something. 

They talked about the concert, who was there and such, until he pulled into a drive though. "Chips m'lady? " he asked.

"Certainly, good sir knight."

John's flat was close to the chip shop and before they knew it, he was keying his way into the door. 

"Come on in," he motioned her to pass him. His flat was big, with a big leather couch in front of a flat screen television, a few reclining chairs around. It looked like he may have two bedrooms, a bath and a half, and a pretty sizable kitchen. 

"It's not a mansion in California, but it's all mine." John said, taking off his jacket. 

"It's perfect, I don't know why but I thought it may but just a couple of wooden chairs and a radio. You don't seem like the comfy sofa type. "

John put his hand on his chest in mock affront. What, you don't think I can make a cozy house, Rose Tyler?"

She laughed. "Hey before we eat, can I change?"

"Yeah, I wanted to also. There's a bathroom right there, I'll, ah- change in my room."

Rose eyed him, noticing what he had indeed started to blush. Just the thought of it made her cheeks redden too. They parted, John setting the food down on the coffee table. 

When they met again, they both smiled at each other. Rose had changed into an of pair of jeans and a vest top, and John into a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt. "Ah, now that's the Rose Tyler that I know," he said. 

""Yeah, but I've only seen you in jeans once, well twice, in London."

"That seems like a really long time ago,"he said, reaching for the food bag.

"It does," she agreed. They sat on the couch and opened the food. "I'm famished," Rose said, stuffing a chip in her mouth. 

"Me too,"he answered, doing the same. 

Rose sat back and took in his flat, chewing slowly. It was sparsely decorated, barely at all. On the wall by the hall closet rested his cane. She looked at it for a moment, he saw she was looking and followed her gaze. 

"I need to stuff that in the closet I suppose. "

She looked up at him, her expression tinged with grief. "I can't believe that all that happened to you. You almost died, John. You took three bullets for me. I can't believe you even want to ever talk to me again."

He shook his head. "Don't even go there. It wasn't your fault. I was guarding you, I was working. That's what I'm supposed to do. "

"No, you were guarding Julian. I wasn't in that equation. "

"Julian only thought he was threatened. He's an idiot. But he thought I saved his life anyway and I got a huge bonus. I took it as a 'stupid tax' and accepted it gratefully. Then I told him I never wanted to see him again. And I also never want you to mention you owing me again. I mean it." He threw a chip at her. 

"OK,"Rose laughed, loving the levity he put in to her dark thoughts. They were both on the sofa, facing each other, the food in between them. "John, I have a question for you. "

"Yes?" He eyed her warily. 

"It's not about the shooting, I swear. It's a legitimate question."

"OK..."

She smiled and scooted a little closer to him. "What did you think of me when we first met?"

John stalled. "I.."

"Be honest."

He took a breath. "I wasn't terribly fond of you. I thought you were a brat. But then you grew on me. You know, like a rash."

"Very funny, " she tossed a chip back at him. "I'm sorry I was that way. I guess when you live the life I do, the way I do, you get caught up in the shiny stuff. Being around you and seeing that you were not impressed with that made me realize that I wasn't all about that. When did you start to tolerate me?"

He laughed, taking another bite and thinking for a moment. "In London. The night you caught me drinking my despair away. That's the first time I saw the real you. The one that worked hard. You told me about yourself and your childhood, and what you were doing now. I liked to see that. Suddenly there was more to you, a whole side of you that I didn't know. I liked what I saw, I guess. Then I heard you singing and realized that there was a part of you that no one ever saw."

"So you fell for me then?" she asked looking down to gather the trash and set it on the coffee table. 

He chuckled. "No not exactly, but time after time you showed me that there was more to see in you. But I thought that despite getting closer that you still hated me."

"You did?"

He nodded, his eyes locked to hers. "You told me you did."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. Wow that seems like forever ago. I'm sorry. But do you want to know the real reason I was being stupid?"

"Of course. "

"I saw someone else talking to you. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't want that. I mean you weren't mine, but I didn't want you to be someone else's. "

"You could have just come over and talked to me, you didn't have to swan dive off a bar."

She scooted closer to him, with a little jump of excitement. "See? That's what I don't get. You are a guy, a professional, you have life expertise, how can you like a kid? I mean I'm 25 going on 13."

He scooted forward now, so that they were touching knees and reached out, running his hand from her ear down to her chin. "Here's the thing. You are a tip of the iceberg kind of person. What people see is only a fraction of the real you. That fraction is amazing, talented and all of 25. But the part that I see is the older soul, the one that can see real talent in others, can lift others up. I mean you could quit singing and performing right now and still have a career. You are that deep. I love seeing that, and I want to explore that. It's you that will have to deal with the problem, you know, the cranky old guy."

"You mean a cranky hot old guy who I have not been able to keep my eyes off of since I met, who brings me into intelligent conversations, treats me like a person and not a star and who I miss even when he leaves the room." This time she reached out, running her fingers over his hair, landing her hand on the back of his neck and pulling lightly until they were nose to nose. 

He smiled. "Who goes first?"

"We both do." And with that, their lips joined.  
Unlike their very first one, this one started gently. But as it grew, they got closer. It wasn't the unbridled passion of before, but sweet, caressing, loving. Their tongues danced together, swirling, searching, as their arms found each other, pulling them together. John pulled Rose on top of him, never breaking the kiss, but his hands finding her bum. He pulled her even closer, letting off her lips to kiss down her neck. She groaned at the new contact, and leaned in to nibble at his ear. He squeezed her bum and she rutted up against him, now feeling his hardness. Now they groaned in unison. 

John brought his hands up to her back, then down to her waist. He continued to kiss her neck and collar bone, as his hands slid up her sides, stopping next to the breasts. Then he pulled back, pushing her up a little, out of breath. "I need to know what's happening," he said, his husky voice causing her to rut up again. He stifled a groan. 

"What do you mean?" she breathed out. 

He caught her chin with this hand, bringing her face closer again. "Is this happening?"

She turned her head, getting him to let go, then trailed kisses down his jaw. "I think so."

He pushed her again lightly away. "Are you ready for what this means?"

Now Rose pulled back. "I've been ready for this for weeks. I want this. It means that we are together, and there is no other way I want to be. "

"Me too ." He said with a smile, bringing her down on him again. He then brought his hands down to the hem of her shirt, lifting it, but stopping with a frown part way.

She gave him a quizzical look. 

"I forgot, I'm still broken, you're gonna have to help."

She smiled and sat up, then expertly wiggled out of her shirt, to John's sharp intake of air. 

"You like what you see?" she asked. 

The release of her bra was her answer. She hadn't even felt John working on it. He leaned in but she stopped him. "Fair is fair, mister," she said, tugging at his shirt for him to sit up, then lifted it up and off. 

She brought her hands down the hard lines of his chest. Then went up to his right shoulder and traced her fingers over the torn skin that still harbored a pink scar. She caught his eyes. "Does it hurt?"

"Not usually, not now. It's a work in progress."

Rose leaned up, kissing the scar lightly. Her movement on his lap made John hiss and his hands quickly shot to her waist to hold her just in the right spot. She smiled at him, but was soon hissing herself when he took her right breast in his mouth. He was rewarded by the press of her hips against him. 

He sucked on her breast while she laid kisses on his neck, grinding into his pelvis rhythmically. John made a growl and popped off her breast. 

"Rose-" 

Rose had taken the opportunity of the distance between them and her hands went to the button on his jeans. He quickly took her hand. 

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable. "

She smiled and climbed off him, making him groan again as she dragged her center over his hardness. 

Rose got up first, holding out a hand to him and pulling him up. He stood there a second, getting his feet under him before taking her hand and pulling her towards her bedroom. Once in, he took her head in his hands and kissed her soundly, backing her towards the bed. When her legs hit the bed, she sat, then smirked. Her hands were again at his waistband, but this time she made quick work of his jeans and pants. Dropping them to his ankles. He now stood proud before her. She again didn't hesitate, and took him in hand giving him a few pumps. 

His knees nearly buckled. "See something YOU like, Miss Tyler?"

"Oh yes!" With that she hastily took him into her mouth. John let out a yelp and gently pulled her head back. 

"You need to give me a second to free myself. " He smiled at her and carefully stepped out of his clothes, taking a hand and pressing her back onto the mattress. "Plus any more of that will make this end embarrassingly quickly." He crawled up next to her while she slid back. He laid on his side, running his fingers gently up and down her body, while at the same time pressing himself into the side of her leg. 

Rose pressed him onto his back, taking him in hand again. This time though, his hand slid under her waist band and into her knickers. His first brush against her folds made her cry out. 

He smiled smugly, working his way to the center of her pleasure. "You're so wet, " he said, "is that for me?"

"You bet your life, mister. I've been ready for hours."

"Hours?"

"The first time I saw you in the crowd I nearly jumped you, but you know, professionalism. " 

"I, um got tested," he stammered, "last week."

She smiled and placed another kiss on his lips. "Great minds, mine was in Paris. I'm all clean, you?"

"Very, I mean it's been a long time, but I wanted to know for sure. I'm good. Um, do we still need a condom?"

Without preamble she reached down, jerked her pelvis to his and rubbed herself against the engorged head of his cock. "I have an IUD," she whispered in his ear. 

That was all it took. John rolled her onto her back, spreading her legs. He crawled up her, smirking, kissing, nipping, until his lower body was lined up with hers. When he leaned back, again rubbing the head of his cock on her center. Rose screamed out as it hit up against her clit. 

"John, please," she begged. 

"Your wish is my command. " He slowly pressed against her core, allowing her to adjust, but gave steady pressure. He moved up, taking her breast in his mouth again. She reached down taking his bum in her hands and pulling him towards her. 

When he was fully seated he paused, popping off her breast. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she breathed. 

With that he began to move, slowly at first then quickening his pace. Her cries of passion spurring him on. She had a tight hold on his bum and squeezed in time with his thrusts. He moved his torso back slightly to be able to slip his hand between them, stroking and rubbing her swollen nub. 

His rhythm was fast and strong, but Rose loved every thrust. It wasn't long before he felt her folds begin to quiver. She was close. He was riding the wave too, inching closer to his own climax. 

Rose let out a wail, pulling him impossibly closer, and he felt her close around him. That's all it took. He finished seconds after her. They held each other, both coming down off the intense high, until he carefully pulled out, hissing as he did, and laid next to her. 

Her eyes were closed and he laid gentle kisses on both. Then they fluttered open. 

"That was..." she started. 

"Fantastic, and fast, " he finished. 

"But that was only the first time. You know, to get it out of the way. I was planning on making you lose a lot of sleep tonight," she said shifting and then frowning.

He raised an eyebrow. 

"Hold up, gotta wee," she said, slithering off the bed and into his ensuite. John watched her go, his eye never moving from her strong, curvy, perfect form. 

Before he knew it, Rose was back at his side, handing him a flannel to clean up with. Then this time her fingers were gently caressing his skin, tracing his strong lines and softer features.  
"You keep that up, I'll have to go again, I'm quick to recover," he ground out.

"Promise?" she asked. 

"Oh yes, but this time slower. I have some exploring to do. " He started to kiss gently down her body, moving towards her core again. 

"John?" she asked as he made his way between her legs.

"Hmm? " he asked, the vibrations tickling the inside of her thigh as he kissed his way up. 

"Can you come with me?"

"Didn't I just?" he asked, lifting his head. 

"No, I mean on tour. I have my own bus, I... I want you to come with me. Will you?"

He sat up a little. "In what capacity? I'm in no shape to-"

"As my guest, my... partner... My..."

"Boyfriend?"

She let out a sigh. "Yes. I want you with me. I don't want you working, I want you with me. What do you think?"

John leaned forward a little, moving his head down. Before she could ask again, he gave her a long, slow lick. 

Rose shuttered. "Is that a yes?"

He licked again, then lifted his head. "As long as I can do this, and you and do what you were doing, I'll follow you anywhere." He got closer in, finding her little hooded bulb, an gave it a long suck, causing Rose to cry out. 

OoOo

The next morning, Rose rolled over, realizing she was still naked, and felt the bed where he should have been. It was cold on his side and she sat up, looked around , found her knickers, but then got up and removed one of his under shirts out of a drawer, slipping it on without a bra.

She heard something in the kitchen, and found him, only clad in pants making coffee.

"Hi," she said, taking him in. This was the first time she had really seen all of him, well all of him without being focused on specific parts of him. 

"Hi," he said back, setting down the coffee carafe. 

She walked closer to him, but her eyes ere fixed on his leg. It was heavily scarred, though healed. The skin buckling up in a few places. He glanced down too. "It's not pretty, is it?" he asked. 

Rose was to him in a second, her arms lacing around his waist. "I didn't really see it last night."

John huffed a sigh and pulled her off him. "You have to get over it, all of it, if you want this to continue."

"John, you could have died."

He took her hand. "But I didn't. And If we are going to be...us... You're going to have to get used to the scars, all of them. They all mean something to me. I'm not afraid of them nor do I hate them. They are just part of me. But I got them, well some of them, doing what I like for someone I-" he stopped.

"What?" she asked.

He cleared is throat. "For someone I love. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."

Rose took him again in a hug. "I love you too John, all of you. But if I have questions, can I ask them?"

"Of course. You've seen all of me now, I have no secrets."

Rose let go and took his hand, tugging lightly. "You say I've see all of you, but I don't know. Maybe I should have a second look. "

With that she pulled him back to the bedroom. 

OoOoOo

Two years later. 

The bundle John held was heavy. He shifted him in his arms, and he made a little cry. John sat him up more, adjusting the big earphones on his fuzzy little head. "Do you want to go see Mama?" he asked the bundle. He carried him to the side off the stage and could feel the baby start to wiggle. He knew his mum's voice. 

John couldn't help but break into a wide smile at seeing is wife on stage, He never could. Rose was in the middle of a song, belting it out with all her heart. The sold out crowd was eating it up.

She turned a little, saw them and waved, making the baby reach out. "Mmma!" Then she focused back on her audience. John brought the baby up to his shoulder, and turned for the dressing room. 

This was the last night of tour. It hadn't been a long tour, just twelve dates, to go with the latest album. The big tour would be in a few more months. She had successfully, very successfully, switched from hip hop and had a platinum album. But it was almost time to go. She was on her last song of her encore. John rocked the baby side to side, singing, to him, more for the vibration his chest than anything. They were to leave that night back to London, then a few days at home, then a vacation in Greece. It was a dream come true. 

He could hear the crowd yelling, clapping for her. But a minute later she was by his side, hand on his waist, pulling him into a kiss. "It was a great show," he murmured against her lips. 

"Thank you.But more than anything, I want to get out of here." She reached out for their son, taking him and cuddling him. 

Bonnie came in a few seconds later to get Rose out of her performance clothes. 

But soon, they were on their way, her holding their son, John at her side, his hand gently touching the small of her back. He was there now and would never leave. They had each other to be strong for now, and neither was going anywhere.


End file.
